


The General and the Commander

by VictoryanBladeFair



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015), Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi
Genre: Adult Content, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Blood, Blood and Injury, Blood and Violence, Casual Sex, Derogatory Language, Dom/sub, Dom/sub Play, Drunken Confessions, Drunkenness, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Romance, Eventual Sex, Eventual Smut, Explicit Language, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Force Bond (Star Wars), General Hux turns me on, General kink, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, I REGRET NOTHING, Inappropriate Humor, Kylo Ren Angst, Lies, Marriage Proposal, May the Force Be With You, Millicent the cat - Freeform, Mommy Issues, Near Death Experiences, Physical Torture, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Pre-Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Pre-Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Pregnancy, Psychological Torture, Sarcasm, Seduction to the Dark Side, Sexy Times, Shameless Smut, Slight Kylo Ren/OFC, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Smut, Spanking, Swearing, That's Not How The Force Works, The Dark Side of the Force, The Force, Torture, Trauma, bad language, black is the new black, force sensitive, ofc is a baddass, random marriage, unprotected sex, weird misunderstandings, wine for the feelings, wrap it up kids
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-18
Updated: 2018-08-04
Packaged: 2018-11-15 18:58:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 28
Words: 68,987
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11237187
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VictoryanBladeFair/pseuds/VictoryanBladeFair
Summary: It wasn't love at first sight... It was a mutual hate from the moment the young redhead's eyes met the brunette's ones."This is no place for someone like you." Armitage told her.She set her mind to prove him wrong.When hate turns to love even in the dark.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! This one's been in my drafts for months, and I was contrary on posting it, but now I'm giving it a try. I hope you like this story and, if there are enough people liking and enjoying it, I might continue, otherwise it'll just stay a draft. By the way, sorry if the first chapter is so short!
> 
>  
> 
> Please, tell me what you think about it! I would really love to read your thoughts and opinions :D Send kudos to support the author's work!

I was thirteen at the time, when I first met Armitage Hux with his father, Commandant Brendol Hux. The 17 year old boy with red hair was taller than me, a cold expression on his handsome features. His uniform was in perfect conditions, hands laced behind his back mimicking his father's. His blue eyes were calculating, not a fly could pass by without him noticing.

I stood by my father's side, heart beating in my chest anxiously. It was the first time that he had ever brought me on a meeting with other First Order members. He said that I should learn how the job is done, observe and study all the elements that surround me, analyze every detail. He also said that I had a good brain, but I lacked in confidence and spirit of initiative. I had developed too many traits similar to my mother's, too kind to make it through the high ranks of the newly formed Order.

The redhead greeted my father with respect, shaking his hand vigorously, but not too much to look bad mannered. His eyes moved to me after he had parted hands with my father. The glint in his eyes seemed to disappear, looking down at me as if I were some insignificant being.

"Commandant Roan, who is this lovely lady, if I may know?" Commandant Hux asked with a polite smile, eyes looking at me.

My father placed a hand on my back, introducing me to the two people, replying with a proud smile. "My daughter, Esme Faye Roan. It's her first visit at the Order."

"My, my..." Commandant Hux held out his hand for me to shake and I reached out with my small one to answer the gesture, being careful to not make any false movements, but his son appeared to see right through my mental barrier. "You look just like your mother, but your hand shake is just like your father's!"

I almost winced at the mention of her, but instead I just smiled and nodded. "Thank you, Sir." 

I bet he could feel my hand sweating, the sleeves of my uniform a little too big for me, something the young redhead noticed. He was quick to judge, but he also knew that he should not jump to conclusions without a proper examination, like looking at a lab rat. Armitage saw a little girl feeling out of place, taller than most ones at my age. Amber eyes gave off the impression of someone who has never seen something evil before, a pure look meant innocence, and innocence did not have a place in the Order, according to him. He shook hands with me, barely acknowledging the fact that now at every meeting I would be there, standing in the shadows and just passively participate.

His blue eyes wouldn't stop gazing coldly into my amber ones. His hand was warmer compared to mine, but our skins were the same pale color. He had his red hair brushed back neatly, while my light brown locks were pulled back in a tight braid, only a few loose strands at the sides of my face.

The meeting went on smoothly, high officials sharing their thoughts and plans, scheming new operations, everyone giving their opinions, mostly when not needed to. What surprised me the most was that there weren't women, only men with their sons, and some couldn't help but tease my father, who fortunately always had a remark up his sleeves for defense. He knew what kind of thing he was getting me into, and for me to be acknowledged by all those pricks would mark his success both as a Commandant and a father.

But I didn't forget why I was there, standing silently on my feet in a corner of the room, lined up with other guys too along with Armitage. I didn't let the numb feeling in my legs, from standing up straight for too long, distract me. I listened carefully to what everyone had to say, fixing my eyes on each Council members' face, remembering the features, the voices and their words.

I may have been too young for someone's opinion, but I had a peculiar trait that allowed me to read people, being able to find hidden meanings even in the most believable words. Although I was still growing up and experiencing new feelings, I was able to detach myself from them and analyze things with a clear mind.

After the meeting had ended and I patiently waited for my father outside of the Council Hall, Commandant Hux's son approached me, menacing, same dreadful look in his eyes, he spoke to me in a low voice. "This is no place for someone like you."

I looked at him whilst slightly furrowing my brow, but before I could speak, he had already turned around and left after his father. The heat rose in my cheeks, making me boil inside. My father had asked me if anything had happened, but I just shook my head. "I want to earn a place in the First Order." I told him firmly, and he arched his brows. "Not just any place. I want to be in the higher ups, prove to everyone that even if I'm a girl, I'm still your daughter. I won't let anyone make fun of you anymore."

For the first time in what seemed to be ages, he smiled genuinely, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear. "Your mother was wrong." He said. "You're not just any Princess, you will become a great General, and I'm gonna make sure of that." 

That was the day that I had decided to put my whole body and soul into one of the most difficult challenges of my life, all because of a redhead who tried to intimidate the shit out of me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ♡ Please, don't be afraid to talk to me, I encourage you to do so ♡ Feedback is always appreciated (:


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I edited a bit before posting the second chapter, hopefully I didn't miss any typos and genera mistakes. I do have to say that I'm not a native English speaker, so I'm sorry for any weird mistakes and grammar.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you like this chapter too and share your thoughts with me on the characters! It makes me very happy to read your comments (:
> 
> Ps: I'm experimenting with 1st and 3rd POVs. I know you should stick to one while writing, but meh

It was a late afternoon on my 21st birthday, drips of sweat sliding down all over my body, heavy breathing making me feel tired, as if my legs could give out at any moment. I looked sharply at my opponent, my mentor. He was one of the best hand-to-hand combatants in, maybe, the whole galaxy. My father managed to meet the guy and offer him the job to train me, all expenses on the Commandant. Jahan was around forty-eight, double my frame, but by eighteen I got way taller than when I was thirteen.

The man broke his stance only to straighten his back and wince in pain, but I maintained my fighting position to avoid any tricks from him; seven years were enough to learn that this man was highly unpredictable. "Oh, man..." The black bearded man breathed out after his back made a loud cracking sound. "I don't think I can do this at my age."

I squinted my eyes, only to loosen up and stand straighter, lowering my bare arms to my sides. "This is only training, did I really hurt you that bad?" I asked him apologetic.

Jahan shook his bald head, laughing. "Training?" He stretched out his arms and tilted his head, some popping sounds were released in the process. "I don't know if you noticed this, but I can't throw you off to the ground anymore, hell, I'm even scared to approach you." His words made me chuckle and shake my head. "No, seriously, Esme. I know this right here is training, but I can't even bring myself to imagine what would happen to the poor soul who crosses your path." He was indeed serious.

All those years of harsh training made me come out of my protective shell. If there was something blocking my way, I could crush it down with bare hands. I dried a sheen of sweat from my forehead with the back of my hand and sighed out, then looked at my mentor. "I believe you know what I'm capable of." That was all I said, exchanging a silent look with him.

"Yes, Commander." He spoke more formally, for the first time using my recent title.

'Hard' could not describe enough how much took me to be where I was, standing proudly among the higher ups of the First Order, and no one dared to withstand me. I was in command of a special division for the Order, guiding the Seal Troopers, an elite group inspired by the old Death Troopers, working independently for the sake of the First Order and, occasionally, under the direct orders of some Generals in case of specific needs.

"Seems like duty's calling." He pointed behind me and I heard footsteps. "I'll leave, then." I nodded to Jahan and he left the gym.

"Commander Roan," one of my subordinates spoke whilst entering the gym, "we have a message from the Finalizer." The short man strutted my way with a datapad in his hands, giving it to me as soon as he was close, only he bent awkwardly forwards trying not to step on the training mat with his shoes. "They require assistance."

I chuckled, taking the datapad and stepped off the mat, bare feet touching the cold floor. Donys, my assistant, lost his balance after I had retrieved the device and fell face flat on the mat, groaning in pain. "Help, they need help. Don't step on the mat with your dirty shoes." I told him as he was standing up, but it was too late, and he started apologizing, his feet still on the soft surface. I gave him a glance and he realized it, quickly moving off of it. "And I say help because it is coming from the Finalizer."

"Is it a bad thing?" Donys asked me, gently rubbing his red face with his hands, where it hurt.

"Is there a way to say it without offending?" I laughed, which he didn't get to see very often. "Bad? It most certainly must be, since _the_ General has complete trust in his precious troopers." I read through the message silently, focusing on the details.

"Am I missing something important?" Donys asked me again, this time scratching his head. Yes, he was my assistant, but most of the times he could be totally oblivious.

"Just forget about it." I shoved the datapad back in his hands, startling him. "Prepare a shuttle to take off and have my escort ready to accompany me. Inform the Finalizer of my arrival."

Donys nodded vigorously, taking a mental note of his tasks and left quickly to run the errands.

"Guess I'm gonna take a shower, then." I said, pulling at the tie of my ponytail, long brown hair falling loose on my back.

 

On the Finalizer, they had just received the response from SEALT Base. "General." Mitaka entered the control room where Armitage Hux was. The redhead turned slightly his head to look at his subordinate, then his blue irises went back to gazing out of the panel window, at the stars. "A response just came from Commander Roan."

General Hux's eyebrows furrowed lightly, and now his attention was all on Mitaka. "Well?" He said impatiently to urge the other man to speak.

"The shuttle should be here in two hours. Shall I prepare a welcoming for their arrival?" Mitaka asked, almost tripping on his words from excitement. He had heard a lot about Commander Roan, and felt quite curious to finally see in person the Seal Troopers. General Hux nodded, dismissing Mitaka.

 

The General was standing in the hangar of the Finalizer, waiting patiently for the black and red shuttle to land and open its ramp. He couldn't help but think that, on the contrary of his father, Commandant Roan still served the Order despite his age. One small signal from him and a bunch of troopers lined on both his sides, creating a long isle from him to the now opened ramp of the newly arrived shuttle. His formal expression faltered only a little when he saw the person making her way down the ramp and between the line of white Stormtroopers.

How stupid of him to miss the slight detail, Commandant was her father's title, while she was Commander. He slapped himself mentally. General Hux looked at the young woman strutting towards him in an authoritative manner, two Seal Troopers marching behind her menacingly. He noted their uniforms, black and red protective pieces around their big frames, bigger than usual troopers, with small white details on the chest plate, such as some numbers and a First Order symbol.

She, on the other hand, was wearing black tight fitting clothes, a long red coat opened loose around her body. Short heeled boots ticking against the floor, amber eyes looking straight at him, cold expression, very different from the one he knew when they were both younger. Her long hair was tied back in a tight ponytail, long ends swaying left and right as she walked, sharp black eyeliner and mascara deepening the look in her pupils. No, she definitely wasn't the same out-of-place-girl he had met years before, this person gave off the impression of a fierce young woman. 

I stopped my strut just a few steps from him, weight shifting from one leg to the other, arms crossing in front of my chest. "This better be some important stuff, because I had to rearrange personal plans."

General Hux furrowed his brow, mentally cursing Ren and his suggestion of involving the Seal Troopers squad because he had other things to do. "I wouldn't have messaged if it weren't important." He replied. What a waste of a formal gesture, she could've at least showed some gratitude for the welcoming. He dismissed his troopers, anger boiling in his chest. "Follow me." He ordered annoyed, which then annoyed me. The General turned on his heels and made his way through the narrow and endless halls of the ship, me following right behind him with my Seal Troopers.

We followed General Hux in a conference room, where a man with black hair was waiting anxiously for our arrival. A single glare from his General and the man hurried to finish what he was doing before we came into the room. "Display Lotide." He ordered the man with black hair, who did as the General said and a hologram of a planet appeared above a circular table.

With a slight nod, I gave a silent signal for my escort duo to stay put in a corner of the room, yet to listen closely to what was about to be said. "What happened in Lotide, General?" I addressed him, sitting down on a cold chair, eyes examining the rotating hologram.

"This," he pointed his right gloved finger at a red dot on the planet, which stopped turning and zoomed in on the marked spot, "is a Technical Branch Outpost used for weapons research and development." He told me, eyes shifting to look at me from where he was standing, beside me. "Yesterday we received word that the Resistance has managed to get past the primary defenses and defeat part of the troopers."

"And you need our assistance for?" I looked up at him, shrugging lightly my shoulders beneath my red coat.

"Currently, we're engaged in something else of greater importance, and we don't have enough resources to send over in Lotide." He told me, sitting down beside me. "You have to prepare your men and send them to retrieve the researchers on the base and some very meaningful plans." The man with black hair walked to us and handed me a datapad with all the information that I might need for the mission. "The base is on lockdown, so the Resistance hasn't broken in yet. If anything happens and they manage to get it..." I moved my amber irises to look at his blue ones, narrowing my eyes when he paused. "Give priority to the plans and get rid of the researchers." The detached and cold tone in his voice made the hairs on my body lift, chills run down my back.

I sighed, resting my back on the backrest of the chair, then scrolled through the info on the datapad. "Let's hope that won't be necessary. The Order can't afford to lose valuable resources like scientists and engineers." Was all I said, before I raised one of my hands and both Seal Troopers approached me. "Mortex sector of the Outer Rim Territories." I spoke to them, eyes glued to the bright screen in my hands. "Air Division on the Resistance, try and draw them away from the base. Land Division and Rescue Division follow the Ghost Scheme. In and out, destroy the base before you leave."

The General furrowed his brow. "Why would you destroy it? We can take it back."

I stopped scrolling through the info and glanced at him from one corner of the eye. "Imagine the Resistance taking control of the base, how many important documents are stored there, available for anyone to read." He didn't want to admit it, but he knew that I had a point.

"Do as you please, then." He replied reluctantly.

I turned off the datapad and handed it to one of the Seal Troopers, who left the room to inform our base of the operation, whilst one stayed with me. "Good." I said, standing up. "Now that we've done business, I'd like to rest."

That caught the ginger man off guard, believing I would leave after the meeting. He stood up too, straightening the jacket of his black uniform. "Mitaka will show to your guest room." He wasn't gonna be rude though and ask me to leave, he hated to admit it, but he didn't want to seem disrespectful with his higher up colleagues. Also, he didn't want me to lose my shit and refuse to help.

"Yes, of course." Mitaka, the guy with black hair replied way too enthusiastic, already heading for the door. "This way, ma'am."

I chuckled at the man's words and the General tilted his head, not really understanding this sudden change of expression, softer than the previous one. "Please, don't call me that, makes me feel too old." I shook my head lightly and the man nodded, referring to me as Commander this time. "Well, then... See you later, General Hux." I told him and he made a small nod, eyes glued to my back as I exited the conference room, a single share of glances between him and the Seal Trooper before he was gone too.

 

"It's a honor to meet you, Commander. I've heard so much about the SEALT..." Mitaka told me with a smile on his face as he guided me through the Finalizer. This ship was far much bigger than the ones I'd been on before.

"Really? Thank you, that's kind of you." I replied, feeling a bit tired from my training of some hours before and from my flight to here. Back at my base it must've been already pretty late, and maybe that was why I had been feeling sleepy. I yawned softly, right hand covering my mouth, which Mitaka noticed.

"Do you wish for me to deliver something while you're resting? Maybe some food?" He asked me before stopping in front of a tall grey sliding door, swiping a key card on a panel next to the door frame, then handed it to me for personal use.

I thought about it for a moment, then remembered that it was still my birthday until midnight, time counted as the one on the planet of the SEALT Base. "Could you smuggle me a cake?" I whispered for no particular reason. Mitaka squinted his eyes not understanding why I lowered the tone of my voice. "Because it's my birthday, and I haven't had the chance to celebrate it yet, so I thought..." I trailed off, but the man nodded promptly.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of it." He smiled. "Please, enjoy your staying and happy birthday."

"Thank you." Mitaka turned on his heels, leaving me with my protective detail. "Notify me if there are any news about the ongoing operation." The Seal Trooper nodded, then, when I disappeared inside of the room, he positioned himself to guard the door.

I looked around the small room, it had a poor furniture design, only a plain black couch and a metal coffee table with nothing else, behind them was another sliding door, it led to a bedroom with a queen sized bed covered with clean white sheets. Another door on the right wall and inside was the bathroom, small, but still functional. Talk about guest rooms...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ♡ Please, don't be afraid to talk to me, I encourage you to do so ♡ Feedback is always appreciated (:


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When you try to be nice to someone but they act like biatchesss lol just kidding, I still love the General

General Hux was back on the bridge, checking on his subordinates' work, analyzing mission reports and giving orders, like any other usual day of work, but he couldn't stop thinking about the Commander. She was a beautiful young woman, indeed, but also a great leader from what he had read on his datapad, yet, she still seemed to hold onto her kind self. But, again, she could get on his nerves as much as Ren did. He would've never expected her to gain such an important role in the Order.

Mitaka walked in the control room, the General's eyes turning to look at him. "What kept you so long?" The ginger asked, startling Mitaka, who seemed to be at a loss for words.

"Sorry, Sir." He stuttered, causing his superior to narrow his blue irises at him. "I was with Commander Roan. She has requested your presence, if possible."

"What for?" Hux asked annoyed. He was working, why didn't she say something earlier if she had to do so in the first place?

Mitaka lied with a straight face. "She didn't say."

The General almost rolled his eyes, slightly gritting his teeth. "Make sure to inform me if there are any news from the ongoing operations." He told Mitaka and the other man nodded, moving to the side to let the General walk out of the control room.

Didn't she know how important was his job? She couldn't just ask him to leave his position without a good reason. The General made his way down to the guests' quarters and noticed the tall Seal Trooper guarding one specific door. He stopped in front of him without saying a word, a cold exchange of glances between the two of them and the trooper stepped aside, sliding a key card on the panel next to the door and it opened swiftly. General Hux walked inside the small living room and saw Commander Roan sitting on the sofa, amber eyes shifting from the coffee table to him, a small smile on her rosy lips.

 

"General," I stood up and greeted him politely, which appeared somehow out of character to him, but as soon as the door behind him closed, he paid attention to what I was saying, "I hope you won't mind keeping me some company." He took note of how much softer my voice sounded now, less intimidating.

His eyes took in my appearance, noticing that I was much slender without the red coat on, long light brown hair let down loose around my shoulders. "I thought you needed to talk about something important." He said, without realizing that it sounded like a scolding. But still, he thought this was a matter of work.

I sighed imperceptibly, slightly tilting my head to the right. This man doesn't know how to chill. "I was just trying to be nice." I muttered, sitting down on the sofa, making enough room for him to sit too. He then just noticed how I leaned towards the coffee table, bringing closer to the edge two plates, on top some chocolate cake. He hesitantly sat down beside me, looking at the piece of cake that I was offering him and he accepted it politely, taking the plate in his hands with a fork that I had provided him. He looked at the delicious good with temptation since he wasn't used to indulge in those kinds of treats. I chuckled after having taken a bite of my piece, covering my chewing mouth with the back of my right hand. "Don't worry, it's not poisonous." I joked. "At least I don't think it is." I arched one brow and shrugged my shoulders. General Hux looked so confused and startled at my friendly behavior.

He looked at my cheerful face then shook his head at my words, an unusual smirk on his lips. "It better not be..." The ginger replied, digging his fork into the soft chocolate and brought it to his mouth whilst I grinned at him. The sweet taste tingled his tastebuds, making him relax instantly and he had to admit to himself that it was lovely gesture, but still, he couldn't shake off the feeling that it might've been poisoned.

We started with the wrong foot, years ago, and I hated him for how he made me feel that day but, still, I was older now and it didn't have to mean that I couldn't try and ease the tension between the two of us. "Well, happy birthday to me..." I mumbled, his eyes shifting right away to look at me, quite bewildered. I noticed the look that he was giving me and set down the half eaten cake on the coffee table. "Listen, I'm actually grateful to you." I told him, and he swallowed down the sweetness from his tongue, a furrowed brow expressing his confusion, very different from his usual cold and calculating self. "If it weren't for you, back when we first met, I probably would have never been where I am today, so... Thank you." I had actually debated with myself for quite some time before deciding to say that to him. Yes, I hated him that day, but his words gave me the purpose that I had been looking for, and I was thankful.

General Hux thought hard for a long moment about that day, when he was seventeen and he had seen me. What went through his mind back then weren't good things at all, he believed I would never make it, but there I was, sitting right next to him, the leader of one of the most important divisions of the First Order. He couldn't help but take credit and feel proud. "This truly isn't poisonous." He said, setting down the plate, and I giggled, baffled by his honest comment of relief.

"Did you really believe I would poison you?" I asked in disbelief, and the way he arched his brows at me made my smile fade away. "Really? Don't you have some feelings inside of that broad chest?" 

"There are a lot of people who would kill me." He replied, underlining the fact that it was an obvious reference of his title as a General, just for being in charge of an army made him a hot target. "Why wouldn't you do the same? Considering that we're not in good relations." 

I gasped, feeling the sudden urge to stick a fork in his eye, but restrained myself from doing that. "You know what? This was a mistake." I stood up from the couch and took a few steps away from him. "Once a bad person, always a bad person." I muttered. Why did I even bother to try and make him a friend? I mentally slapped myself for trying when he wasn't even thinking of me as an equal. Sure, I did not become a General like I had hoped when I was younger, but I still kicked ass as a Commander.

Just when he was about to say something, someone knocked at the door, interrupting him. "Come in." We said in unison, exchanging a quick look before he stood up too from the sofa to look at the person who had walked into the room.

"Sorry to interrupt you, but we have just received a message from the Seal Squadrons." Mitaka informed us, carrying a datapad in his hands. "The mission was a success, they're heading back to the SEALT Base on Dreena."

General Hux turned to look at me, brows lightly furrowed. "Did you give them the order to go back to your planet?" 

I shook my head. "No, it's standard protocol for when they're carrying something important." I explained to him. "Safety measures. If you want the cargo, you have to retrieve it yourself." Well, it was standard protocol, unless I gave the order to the Seal Troopers to bring the plans and the researchers to the Finalizer. But why would I do that now that the General had proved yet again that he's an asshole?

The ginger straightened his jacket, thinking about what had to be done next. "It'll have to wait until our ongoing operation is done."

"In that case..." I murmured whilst twitching my lips. I crossed my arms as I thought that I did not want to spend any more time on the Finalizer, breathing the same air as General Hux did. "I'm heading back to my base." I informed them. 

While Mitaka's expression seemed to sadden, the General's darkened. "No." He said, making it sound like an order.

I tilted my head at him and narrowed my amber eyes. "Is there any particular reason why you're contrary to my decision?"

"I have my reasons." General Hux replied, fixing his left sleeve, then shot me one last glance before turning around to leave. "Thank you for the cake, Commander. I'm glad it wasn't poisonous."

 

It had been one day since my protective detail and I had arrived on the Finalizer. I was provided with a useful office, from where I could keep on working and communicate with the SEALT Base on Dreena. A hologram of Donys, my assistant, was displayed on the desk, him updating me on the recent operation. I still had to hear about the reasons why the General had asked me to stay.

 _"The teams had, unfortunately, a few casualties, but the mission was a success, overall."_ Donys told me and I nodded in reply. _"After retrieving the researchers and the plans, the Seals detonated the facility. We have some Resistance members in custody that the Land team managed to capture."_

My back relaxed against the backrest of the chair and I thought for a moment. "Hold on the interrogations until I get back. In the meantime, keep them in separate cells." I ordered and he nodded. "That'd be all, for now." The transmission ended and I sighed, bringing the palm of my right hand to rub my forehead for some comfort. Someone knocked on the door to the office and I sat up straight, regaining some composure. I didn't like to lose men, but it was part of the job. "Come in."

The door slid open, revealing General Hux, who made a slight nod while entering the room. "Some trouble?" He asked me as soon as the door closed behind him. As if he actually cared. It was my team, not his.

I lightly shook my head, eyes looking down at my entwined fingers on the desk. "No, just a report on some casualties." I replied with a casual voice. "And maybe this whole place." I shrugged, as the General sat down in a chair opposite of me. 

He gave me a questioning look, one brow slightly raised up, and I rolled my eyes. "I'm afraid we don't have some luxurious things, of what you might be used to, to make you feel more comfortable." He deadpanned.

I snickered at his comment with wide eyes. "I don't know if you've labeled me as a pretentious bitch, but that's not what I've meant." I crossed my arms over my chest, a bewildered expression sending daggers the General's way.

"In that case, please excuse my bad assumption." I feigned indifference and averted my gaze from his blue eyes, looking somewhere else without replying, arms still crossed. The sides of his lips curved slightly upwards, an idea crossing his mind. "Will you forgive me if I offer you a dinner tonight? Not poisoned, of course."

I looked back at the General, narrowing my amber eyes in suspicion, but then softened. "I hope you won't mind me wearing the same clothes, since I didn't bring anything more formal to change into." I usually wasn't this arrogant with people, but when he was around, I could easily lose my composure.

The General smiled, giving me chills all over my body. Why'd he smile like that? "I won't." He replied, standing up from the chair to leave. "I'll send someone to get you when you're ready."

"Why are you smiling?" I couldn't help myself but ask him. This was definitely strange.

"On the contrary to popular belief, I can be a gentleman when it is required." General Hux chuckled, more to himself than to me.

As soon as he had left the room, I slumped back in the chair and let out a heavy sigh. "We shall see." His antics and mysterious behavior were about to drive me insane.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo, what do you think? What's General Hux got on his mind? ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dinner with the General... How will it go?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's almost lunchtime in my timezone, so I'm posting earlier today to focus on my studying. My exams start tomorrow and I'm literally dying inside. These are the times when I wish General Hux was real so he'd come and take me away to live in space and fuck all this studying, like, who needs to know why Marcel Duchamp took a porcelain urinal and called it _Fountain_??? Yeah, sorry for the rambling, I'm just really stressed out.
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> Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter as well and share your opinions with me ^_^

I looked at myself one last time in the small mirror in the bathroom and sighed. A few brown locks were still a bit damp from the shower, so I braided my hair in a fishtail braid, pulling at some strands to make them a bit fluffier and for a more elegant look. Thankfully, I always carried a mascara in my coat, for convenience, though, I didn't have an eyeliner. It wasn't like I was making myself beautiful for a dinner with General Hux, I just liked wearing makeup; my mother used to say that Princesses always had to look beautiful in front of others, but why not a Commander too? A knock on the door alerted me that someone had arrived to get me, and I took my time to open up, since I told my protective detail to go and rest for the night, they deserved it too.

"Good evening, Commander." Mitaka greeted me after the door slid open. "Are you ready?" He asked me and I nodded. "General Hux is waiting for you in his quarters."

I stopped in my tracks and just stared at the man, not understanding why Hux and I were having dinner in his private lodgings and not in a dining area, as each ship had for their guests. "One question: why?" I batted my lashes and Mitaka appeared to be in distress for a moment.

"Well..." He stammered, unsure of the answer himself. "He didn't say."

After a moment of silence, I nodded absentmindedly and motioned for the man to lead the way. Apparently, the General's quarters were on a different part of the ship, quite far from the guests' one. I honestly couldn't bring myself to understand how one person could remember which turns to take, because everything looked the same to me, even with directions written on the walls, which made it even more confusing, because the signs had similar names with different numbers on. About fifteen minutes later after I left my room, Mitaka and I had finally reached General Hux's quarters. By the doorframe, on the wall, was a similar panel to the one of my room, but this one required a digital number to be inserted along with a fingerprint. Mitaka pressed one button at the bottom of the panel and spoke out, alerting the General of our presence. 

After a short moment the door slid open, revealing the ginger standing behind it. "You can go now." He said to Mitaka, who nodded at his superior and then at me, turning around to leave. "Please, come in." The General stepped aside, inviting me in with his right arm raised a bit.

I didn't know if it was my mind playing tricks, but this whole sudden change in character made me feel more conscious of me entering his personal space. Once inside, the space appeared to be a large living room and a dining room all together, I noticed how much more luxurious it seemed than what I'd seen till now on the ship. The place was well furnished, some personal decorations around and nothing felt out of place.

I looked at the General, giving him a puzzled look. "Good evening?" I hesitated, before he led me to a table with plenty of food and helped me sit down in my chair, moving it under me. "Thank you." I said politely. 

I noticed how the General had changed from his usual uniform, wearing a black shirt with trousers of the same color, lacquered shoes completing the elegant look. He looked even more handsome now. There wasn't much talking during our dinner, only short glances at each other between bites of some delicious and juicy steaks, with sips of red wine in between. It felt more like a date than anything else, but I pushed the thought aside and tried to think of something else. "How long has it been since you became the Commander of the Seals?" He asked me, catching me off guard for a moment.

I set down the glass of wine after taking a sip and cleared my throat, the liquid burning the back of my tongue. "Four years." I replied with a small shrug. Was he really making an attempt to know me better? "I didn't earn the position just because I'm my father's daughter.

He glanced at me for a brief moment before his eyes were back on his plate. He slowly cut through the meat and then brought it up to his mouth with the fork, then looked at me once again. I waited for him to chew and then swallow his food. "Was it hard?" His voice sounded very passive, as if he did not really care for the answer.

I sneered, averting my gaze as I shook my head. "You more than anyone should know what it took me to get where I am." I told him, my expression stiff and eyes cold. I certainly wasn't going to list my sins. As people who dedicated their lives to the First Order, we must be prepared to do anything in our power for, and only, the sake of the Order, nothing else.

General Hux cleaned the sides of his mouth with a napkin and set it on the table. "Commander Roan, when I saw you eight years ago, you looked like a lost animal in a predator's den." The man said, my amber eyes locking with his blue irises. I didn't take his words as an insult, it was true. But people change in eight years. "Obviously, you and I have grown out following our desires. If we put aside our conflicting characters, then maybe we could be good colleagues."

Well, shoot, I didn't expect that. But I wasn't buying it, it felt more like and act than a honest thought. "Stars, you think I'm that stupid, don't you?" General Hux feigned obliviousness for a moment. "Do you really think a nice dinner would solve it all?" I sighed in disbelief and stood up from the chair with the intention to leave.

"You tried to do the same with a piece of cake..." Hux rolled his eyes and leaned against the backrest of the chair. "Honestly, I've never met anyone more annoying than you." The ginger remarked and I couldn't help but look down on him. "I even made you a gift for putting your duty before your personal interest."

That was when my mouth fell agape and I just stared at him baffled. "What did you say?" All the previous bickering forgotten.

"I said..." He mumbled, then stood up from his place and went to get something from a cupboard in the living room, then came back and handed me a thin rectangular box, a red velvet bow on top. "Since it was your birthday yesterday, I thought I could show you some gratitude for putting your work first." I was at a loss for words, eyes looking at the box in his hands before glancing up at his pupils. "I didn't think something so small could make you shut up."

There it was the asshole, speaking his pearls of wisdom... "Really?" I shook my head while giving him a tired gaze. "I was just having a moment where I liked you for a short second." He held out the gift and I carefully picked it up in my hands to open it, whilst he watched closely at my reaction. General Hux couldn't help but feel cheerful as my eyes looked at the necklace inside of the box. I gasped softly once again, covering my mouth with the palm of my hand, glancing up at him. "It's beautiful, thank you..." The golden necklace had on a gemstone pendant attached to it, a ruby stone reflecting the light of the room. I wasn't used to receiving gifts so this was a very thoughtful gesture. "You shouldn't have..." I murmured.

"In that case I'm taking it back." The man said, and I immediately shook my head, bringing the box close to my chest. "Thought so." He grinned. Something in my chest lit up and I felt a warm feeling, something that I tried to push deep down, for I didn't want to even think about falling for this man. No, one small gesture like this, no matter how thoughtful, wasn't gonna make me change my mind about him... Was it? "Let me help you put it on." He took the box and picked up the necklace, then set the container on the table. I turned around, moving away the tail of my braid as he clasped the chain around my neck. My fingers traced the shape of the gorgeous pendant as I turned back to look at him once again. 

Probably, I must have imagined it, but there seemed to be a glint in his eyes, making my heart skip a beat. There was too much silence between us, and it made me feel suddenly too small in his presence. "Say something..." I whispered, unable to move my eyes from his.

"Beautiful..." He mumbled.

"I already said that..." I replied softly, but the General shook his head. His face seemed to be getting closer, but stopped abruptly when I asked him if he had heard a sound coming from another room. "Did you hear that?" General Hux furrowed his brow at me for using the lamest excuse ever to avoid a kiss. Why would he kiss me in the first place? "There, again." I said, looking around the living room for the source of that particular sound.

"I don't hear anything." He replied annoyed, but I shushed him with a finger on his lips and listened carefully once more. As soon as I heard it again, I moved away from him and headed towards a closed door, which slid open as soon as I got close. "That's my bedroom." Hux murmured, and only after a brief realization his eyes shot wide open. "Be careful, she doesn't like strangers!" He yelled.

The breath in my throat hitched up at his words, but it was already too late, when 'she' run out of the bedroom and jumped in my arms. I managed to grab the ginger cat and held her up in my arms without a jump-scare. I gasped at the fat kitty that started purring instantly as I petted her. "Well, aren't you a beautiful and soft kitty?" I giggled and the cat purred, rubbing her head on my chin. "I didn't know you had a cat." I turned to look at the General and shot him a wide grin.

General Hux just stared at me and asked himself how was I still able to hold his cat, since she hated to be pet from strangers. "That's Millicent." He replied, stepping closer to me to pick her up from my arms, but the ginger kitty wiggled herself free from his grasp and ran away, back into the man's bedroom. "And... She sheds a lot." He pointed out, nodding at the cat hairs on my black clothes. 

I chuckled as I brushed off the hairs from my clothes, then looked at him, a grin still on my lips. "So you do have feelings." I commented. I'd never expected a person like him, always impassive and dedicated to his work, to have a pet... A cat, more precisely. But now that I knew, the resemblance between the two was quite funny, considering that they were both gingers. His expression seemed to sadden for a brief moment, maybe a reaction from my words, and I took it as a cue to retire for the night. "I'm sorry, maybe I should go."

He didn't protest, just looked down at the floor and then nodded slowly. "We'll be leaving for Dreena as soon as Ren finishes his mission." The General told me, blue irises lock with my amber ones. "I'm sure your work is piling up while you're here."

I sighed softly when he changed topic. He wasn't that wrong, but for some reason, I felt a pang in my chest while thinking about returning to my base. But still, an army doesn't command itself. "Yeah..." I tapped my foot on the floor nervously, then nodded towards the front door. "Thank you for the dinner, though... And the necklace, I really appreciate it." I spoke softly as my heart skipped a beat in my chest.

General Hux nodded. "You're welcome..." He accompanied me at the door and we gazed in each other's eyes silently for a long minute, before he finally spoke. "Good night, Commander." 

My heart skipped one more beat and my mind blanked out, but I forced myself to reply. "Good night, General."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ♡ Please, don't be afraid to talk to me, I encourage you to do so ♡ Feedback is always appreciated (:


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I hope y'all like random smut... which I don't regret writing at all

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiii again! Got some free time to edit the chapter so I decided to post it (: Hopefully I didn't miss any weird mistakes and stuff, but anyway, I guess you'll be distracted by the smut loool It's random, but it'll make sense later

_"So, what is General Hux like?"_ Donys, my assistant, asked me. There seemed to be a notable interest in the man's eyes, even if I was just looking at a hologram.

"Like a tasteless wine..." I replied, slouched against my chair, just gazing around my temporary office on the Finalizer. Donys appeared confused for a moment, and I had to clear myself. "Nobody likes a wine that tastes like nothing." I said annoyed, sighing at how my assistant could really be slow in certain things. Sure, he did a great job in organizing my work, but besides that... No comment.

 _"Oh... I've had to make some rearrangements in your schedule, since we still don't know when you'll be coming back."_ It had been a few days now, and this Kylo Ren had yet to show up. _"Although, I do have to inform you, Commander, that Admiral Attlee refused to change the day of your meeting."_

I arched my brow at the hologram and leaned forward, resting my elbows onto the edge of the table. "Admiral Attlee is in no position to make rules. If I am busy, then he can go and fuck himself." Donys was used to my rude expressions, but whenever he heard that killer note in my voice, he couldn't help but feel as the victim of my rage.

 _"Commander Roan, please, this meeting is very important. He is one of our main funders."_ Donys tried to reason with me, and I had to give in. I brushed my fingers through my long brown hair in frustration and shrugged, in defeat. _"What if I ask the Admiral to meet with you on the Finalizer?"_

I though about it for a moment and smiled at the hologram. He wasn't that stupid after all. "Seems like a good plan." I nodded at my assistant. "See what you can do. Be sure to notify General Hux's assistant too, so that there won't be any misunderstandings when Admiral Attlee shows up." Donys saluted and ended the transmission.

I run the tips of my fingers onto the ruby stone hanging on my chest, and thought about the dinner with the General. He seemed quite a different person that night, but maybe it was just my imagination. I slapped the palms of my hands on the table and groaned. "Focus, Esme." I scolded myself. "He's just acting."

A knock sounded at the door and I furrowed my brow, not really expecting anyone. The door slid open and one of my Seal Troopers, who was guarding the entrance, stepped in. "Commander Roan, Captain Phasma has requested to meet you." The Robotic voice said.

I shrugged ut of habit and just gazed back at the trooper. "Well, why didn't you let him in?"

The trooper stiffened for a moment at my expression and immediately excused himself, stepping out of the room to let my visitor know that I was ready to receive him. As soon as the person stepped inside of the office, I stood up from the chair and narrowed my eyes. The person was wearing a silver armor and a mask, which resembled the ones worn by the Stormtroopers. A long black cape hung behind the person's back from the shoulders, but it did not touch the floor. "Commander Roan," the robotic voice said as the man stepped closer, "it's a honor to be able to finally meet you. There aren't many women of power in the Order."

I rounded the desk and shook his hand, smiling politely at his words. "Thank you." As soon as we shook hands and parted. Captain Phasma removed his mask and I was left shocked. "Oh, stars!" I exclaimed, covering my gaping mouth. I really thought that she was a guy! She was much taller than me, and maybe that was why I even made a wrong assumption.

The woman was beautiful, probably in her 30s, with short blonde hair and long bangs brushed back on her head, blue irises and a sculpted jawline. The woman furrowed her brow at me and tilted her head, grinning after catching up on my thoughts. "Don't worry, young lady, it's not like you can see much when this thing is on."

I shook my head in embarrassment and apologized. "I'm really sorry!" Captain Phasma giggled. Gosh, she was so beautiful I could've fallen for her smile. She looked like a very cheerful person, very unlike the stories that I had heard about her. "I look like an idiot now, don't I?" I chuckled, averting her eyes.

"Please, I should've taken off the mask before coming..." Phasma said, and then gave me a light pat on the shoulder. "But, all things aside, I'm really glad we're allies. I'm a fan of your work with the Seal Troopers." She nodded her head towards the front door of the office. "They really do look intimidating."

I was humbled by her compliment. Not many people appreciate what I do for a living. "Thank you, Captain, I don't get to hear that very often."

"As the head of the stormtrooper legions, I expect my trainees to be at the highest standards possible." She said, twitching her lips as the thought about something. "But I guess men can't really stand a woman who's more successful than they are, right?"

I nodded in agreement. We seemed to share the same opinion. "But, still, we kick ass." I playfully arched my brows at her and she giggled.

"Are do doing anything right now?" She asked me and I shook my head. "I could show you a bit of the Finalizer if no one has done that yet."

"Yes, please." I took in a breath of relief. One more hour inside of that shady looking office and I would've lost my mind.

 

She was more polite than some other people that I've met on board, but I knew it was just pure formality between higher ups, we could even become good friends, maybe. Everyone seemed to fear her as she carried a sense of menace with her, though she was really friendly with me. "And this is where I personally oversee the stormtrooper training of the FN Corps." A large door opened to an enormous hall that appeared to be a gym. There seemed to be a bit of pride in her voice. "Oh, someone's training." She said, and I peeked inside of the enormous hall.

There was a tall guy twirling a long metal stick in his hands, luscious black hair moving above his shoulders as he moved too. I licked my lips and smirked a little. The guy's muscles popped out under his black tank top, a firm ass accentuated by his tight trousers. I couldn't say that I wasn't turned on, I was very pleased by the sight of a hard working man who wanted to stay in shape. "Who's the guy?" I whispered the question at Phasma, and she shrugged.

"A grumpy cat." She replied, her voice low too. "General Hux doesn't like him at all." Figures...

Suddenly, the guy stopped his training and turned around to see the two of us standing by the gym's door. He had a serious expression, a light sheen of sweat on his exposed skin. He furrowed his brow and pointed the stick my way. "You." I pointed one finger at my chest and he nodded. "Yeah, you. Have you come to train? Come and join me."

"Yes!" Captain Phasma replied and I shot her a puzzled look.

"But I don't have any training gear!" I whispered in panic, not realizing what I was getting myself into.

"Don't worry, there's a locker room for the trainers where you can change." She told me, pointing at a door inside of the gym. "There's spare clothes, something will fit you surely." She waved at the man in the gym and then patted my back before leaving. "See you around, Commander."

I slowly stepped inside of the gym and looked at the guy, my previous nervousness all forgotten. "Do you need a partner?" I pointed at the metal stick that the guy was holding, and he shrugged nonchalant. "Alright, gimme a minute." I moved towards the door that Captain Phasma had pointed at and entered inside, seeing a large locker room full of various training equipments and, on some spare clothes on top of shelves. I picked up one tight tank top and a pain of elastic leggings, slipping them on after taking off the clothes that I had been wearing for days. Now, they would've been dirty by now, but one morning I found the washed and folded in the living room of my apartment, totally oblivious to who had cleaned them... While I slept naked in the bedroom.

When I stepped out of the locker room, the guy was still there, but without the stick in his hands. He stretched his arms above his head and then looked at me. "What? Can't handle a hand-to-hand match?" He joked after noticing my furrowed brow.

I stepped closer to him, in the center of the gym and immediately bent my knees whilst raising my arms in front of me. I smirked as he positioned himself in a fighting stance too, expressionless face. There was something odd about him, he had a look in his eyes that gave off the impression of someone who you shouldn't mess with, but I was on for a challenge. "Just don't cry when I'll smack your face on the floor."

There was no warning. In an instant, he charged towards me. I blocked off his first blow, feeling a strong energy come from the sudden contact. I resisted the urge to retreat and, instead, counterattacked. My knuckles collided with his jaw, but he didn't lose balance, so I opted to kick him on the side, but he promptly caught my leg and pulled me towards him. My chest crashed against his broad one and I felt the air leave my lungs abruptly. "That hurt." He said without any feeling, looking down on me since he was way taller, apparently even taller than the General. His hand slipped further under my thigh and he squeezed my butt.

"Careful what you touch..." I whispered, suddenly lacing my right arm around his shoulder and shifted all of my weigh to the right too, taking advantage of the weird position to throw him off of his feet. Our bodies rolled onto the floor, but while he laid with his back flat on the floor, I was already back on my feet. Years of harsh training made me tougher than I looked. "You may lose a hand." I joked.

The man looked at me from the floor and let out a low chuckle, pushing himself off the ground. "I wouldn't have expected anything less from the Commander of the Seals." He said, brushing back his black hair.

"Oh, you know me." I wasn't that surprised, but more disappointed that he had not introduced himself yet. "May I know your name, then?"

He shrugged. "Matt." He positioned in his fighting stance yet again, but this one seemed a bit different, as if he knew that he could take me down without any effort. I realized too late that his first move was just a way to study the way that I thought, he must've even figured out my weak point. In a blink of an eye his punched and kicks became faster, and I barely could keep up with him. He forced me to fall back and just continue on retreating until I shoved away one of his hands and tried delivering a punch of my own, but he saw right through my idea and grasped my right wrist. One of his legs slipped behind one of mine and, as soon as he made me lose balance, I closed the fingers of my free hand around the hem of his tank top, and pulled him down onto the floor with me.

We were panting, my amber eyes locked onto a pair of light brown ones. I looked at him lost for a moment before gasping when I felt his leg press against my crotch, since he was on top of me. Matt seemed pleased by the reaction and shifted his weight onto that same spot, teasing me. "Unless you're doing it on purpose, I suggest you stop."

His pupils dilated and the sides of his lips lifted faintly. "What if I'm doing it on purpose?" Matt's voice lowered. "Would you let me continue?"

I was so turned on because he had awoken an animalistic desire in my lower regions, and now I wanted him, even though I barely knew the guy. "I'd let you fuck me in the locker room for all I care."

Matt didn't let the opportunity pass him by and stood up from the floor, whilst pulling me up with him. His hand held tightly mine as he guided me towards the locker room, shoving me inside before locking the door too. There was hunger in our pupils, and both of us just wanted one simple thing: satisfy our primal desire.

His big hands were on my sides in an instant. Matt pushed me against a wall and attacked my lips, slipping his tongue in my mouth without first asking for permission. I moaned into the kiss and he liked the reaction so much that he pressed his body on mine even more, rubbing his big bulge on my crotch. Our clothes were gone in the following few minutes. Matt slipped his hands behind my thighs and he easily lifted me up against the wall, my arms wrapped around his shoulders and legs around his waist for support.

"So wet for me..." He whispered in my ear when he rubbed the tip of his member on my entrance, slipping it all the way up inside of me without waiting for me to adjust to his size. I let out a long cry of pleasure and forced myself to look at him. "And so tight..."

Whatever was in those eyes that made him look so mysterious and handsome, I wanted more, even thought I knew nothing about him besides his name. "Oh-!" I moaned loud as he pounded mercilessly inside of me, hitting a soft spot that made my toes curl.

My fingers slipped into Matt's black locks and I pulled his head back, making him look at me as he fucked me in a public place. The me from thirty minutes before would have never imagined herself in this situation, for she would have never had sex with a stranger. But this guy right here? "You like that?" He breathed out, slowing his ferocious pace just to hear me ask for more.

"Fuck, don't stop-" I panted, but he put me down on my feet and made me turn around to face the wall. I pressed the palms of my hands on the flat surface and felt him penetrate me from behind once more. Matt's hands gripped tightly my hips and he thrust back in fast, making me cry out in pleasure. As I felt a tight knot forming inside of me, my moans became louder and louder, until one of his hands let go of the hip and Matt closed his fingers around my throat, but not in a painful way, more like a dominant one.

As I came with a loud cry, my walls tightened around his length and he let out a low groan, immediately pulling his member out to let all of his juices drip down onto the bare skin of my lower back and ass. My insides throbbed at the blissful feeling and I just let my forehead rest onto the wall, gathering my breath.

"Well..." Matt breathed out and I forced myself to turn around and look at him, a satisfied grin on my features. "That was liberating." He commented, brushing back his hair as he glanced at my body.

"I'm glad you liked it..." I sighed, pushing myself away from the wall to pick up my discarded clothes and dressed up. "It won't happen again."

Matt's expression changed quickly as his eyes narrowed at my back. "Just like that?" He asked me disappointed, or so it seemed.

"Just like that." I answered, pulling on my shirt and then exchanged a quick glance with him, before my pupils traveled further down his muscled body and stopped on his still hard member, which was quite big and nice to see. "See you around, Matt." I stepped closer to him and pecked his right cheek, grinning, then left him standing there naked in the locker room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all Put yo hands up for the handsome Matt for getting some Va-jayjay!
> 
>  
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> ♡ Please, don't be afraid to talk to me, I encourage you to do so ♡ Feedback is always appreciated (:


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> look what I've found the time to edit and post lol by the way, it's a bit shorted than usual. Hope you'll like it!

As warm water ran down my body I rubbed thoroughly away the soap from my hair and skin, humming softly to an unknown tune. The 'workout' with Matt improved my mood, and I felt quite better for the first time in a while, at least since staying on the Finalizer. I turned off the water and got out of the shower, immediately wrapping up in a black towel before heading out of the bathroom, across the bedroom and into the living room. 

I abruptly stopped in my tracks when I saw a ginger head. General Hux was sitting in my living room, back turned towards me. "Don't stop, I was enjoying the music." He said without glancing back at me.

My mouth fell agape and I rounded the couch to shoot him a death glare, my amber eyes darkening at the sight of his blue pupils. "This is called invasion of privacy." I deadpanned.

"You were taking too long to answer my messages." He replied nonchalant, leaning against the backrest with one arm thrown around it very casually. His pupils couldn't help but travel down my half naked body, the hem of the towel reaching just a bit above the middle of my thigh.

My weight shifted from one leg to the other and I tilted my head at him, resting-bitch-face on. "Really? What's so damn important that you couldn't have waited some more?" Just look at this guy, thinking he can enter my personal space whenever he pleases to just because he's _the_ General.

General Hux stood up from the couch and fixed his black coat, one eyebrow raised. "Some Admiral Attlee has come to see you." He said, and I sighed in frustration. Seriously, just when I had found some peace, he had come to crush it. "And..." The General pointed at a square shaped box resting on the coffee table, which I hadn't noticed before. "I took the freedom of buying you some new clothes." The sides of his lips seemed to curve up for a brief moment when his pupils laid on the golden necklace with the ruby pendant around my neck, glad that I was still wearing it.

"Thank you." I replied without ceremony. We kept on gazing at each other as droplets of water fell to the floor from my wet hair.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Hux picked up the box and showed it in my hands ungraciously. "Dry yourself and get dressed. I'll be waiting right here."

I narrowed my eyes at him and turned on my heels, walking back into my bedroom before slamming the palm of my hand on the panel next to the doorframe to shut the door. Why did I not tear him in half yet made me question the enormity of my patience. I removed the towel from around my body and rubbed it against my hair to gather the rest of the water, then threw it in the ground next to the bed. My hands were shaking from how much anger had built up inside of me, and I forced myself to take in a few deep breaths before deciding to open the box. My eyes widened at the sight of a red silk blouse and a tight high-waist black skirt, knee length. Beneath the two pieces of clothing were some really soft undergarments, a dark red bra and a pair of panties.

If General Hux was trying to spoils me it would've worked only if he had remembered to get a pair of heels too, to complete the elegant office look. "Well, at least he's got good taste..." I murmured, slipping on the new clothes which, surprisingly, fit me quite nicely. I picked up my short heeled boots from a corner of the rooms and put them on before exiting the bedroom. "I'm ready." I said, whilst braiding my hair in a hurry.

General Hux glanced down at the watch on his left wrist and then up at me. "Well, that was fast." Did he really keep count on how much it took me to change?! "You even look like a woman, now."

I gasped at his comment and just stared at him as he headed for the front door. "What's that supposed to mean, you prick?!" He didn't answer, just got out of the room and I shook my head at the floor. "Just a bit more of time, Esme, and then he's gonna be out of your face..!" I whispered at myself, following the General out of my apartment.

We arrived at the Conference Room after a couple of minutes. Before entering, the General stepped aside and held up his hand for me to go in first, which I did despite his apparent chivalry. His controversial actions towards me made me feel extremely confused, mostly pissed off. First he played a gentleman and the next minute was a complete douche.

A short man in his 60s stood up from a chair and smiled at me, as if we were some kind of friends, but it was just a weird formality he had with anyone between the higher ups. "Commander Roan, we finally meet." He said, rounding the table to shake my hand. That greedy old man, he could be a real nuisance.

I made a small nod and smiled faintly, before exchanging a firm shake of hand. "Admiral Attlee. I must apologize for all the delays, I was really busy."

"Please, don't apologize, Commander. I had no idea that you were on the Finalizer." The man shook his head as General Hux came into his view and he turned to greet him too, but not with a shake of hands, instead, he brought a closed fist above his heart and bowed. "General Hux, it's a honor to stand before you."

General Hux barely acknowledged the man's formality and just gave a small nod, then spoke in a clear authoritative voice. "Commander Roan has requested my participation during this meeting. Hopefully you won't mind." That bastard... It was a lie. If he wanted to stick his nose into my business, he should've asked first. Admiral Attlee shook his head in response.

I didn't say anything in objection, and just motioned my hand for the Admiral to take a seat. Subconsciously, I was feeling under pressure. General Hux had sat down beside me while the Admiral was sitting opposite of us. "When you asked for a meeting, you didn't clarify the reason."

The man's expression changed, it wasn't cheerful anymore. "Now that you brought it to my attention, you won't like the answer." My brow furrowed and I narrowed my amber eyes at him. "Regarding to the funds of SEALT Base, I'm afraid I can't participate anymore."

"Why?" I asked, arching one eyebrow lightly. This was too sudden. He had been one of the main funders for years, why was he pulling back? He was rich, even more than the richest man known to the public. Something was definitely off.

"Well..." The Admiral hesitated, shrugging his shoulders as if it weren't that big of a deal. If he wanted out, his decision could potentially start a chain reaction. Maintain SEALT Base, the staff, feeding and training the troops, it required a lot of money. "I've heard of a project going on, in the Order..." He was flying around it without actually saying it.

"My patience has a limit, Admiral." My voice lowered dangerously, and General Hux glanced at me from his peripheral vision, noticing how tightly closed were my fists.

"That project has enough fundings already." The General said to the other man, as if he knew what he was talking about.

"What project?" I whispered as I turned to the ginger and looked him straight in the blue eyes.

"The Starkiller." Said Admiral Attlee, making the hairs on my body lift. When I first heard about it, I didn't actually believe someone would try and recreate the Empire's Death Star. Then it hit me. Why was General Hux so desperate to save his plans and researchers and come to me for help? Because he didn't want something so important to fall in the Resistance's hands.

"Oh, that project." I exclaimed nonchalant. I feigned hurt for a moment and looked back at the Admiral. "But if you stop funding the Seals, who's going to protect the Starkiller while it's still being built?" If the General wanted a liar, he's got one right there beside him. 

Admiral Attlee glanced down at the palms of his hands, feeling guilty for trying to abandon his promise to my father, which was to support me as the new leader of the Seals. "I see your point, Commander Roan." He said as he stood up from his chair, and I did the same. "There is no point changing sides between us. If I support you, I'm supporting the whole First Order." He smiled. Well, I was glad that my plan had worked out perfectly. "Anyway, I also came here today to bring you the news that my youngest son has decided to ask your hand in marriage." Besides the fact that his _youngest_ son was forty...

"Excuse me?" My eyes shot wide open. I was shocked by the fact that he was still trying to wed me to his spineless and disrespectful son. "I'm already engaged." Those words left my mouth before I could even imagine the consequences of what I had just blurted out.

The Admiral's eyes narrowed in brief anger and he tilted his head at me. "To whom?" He asked with venom in his words.

General Hux stood up from his seat and lifted his chin, startling the other man. "To me." Oh, stars, no shut up!

"To him." That took an unexpected turn.

The Admiral nodded in disbelief, but had to force his disappointment and shocked self to congratulate with us, out of respect for our titles. "Well, then, I'll take my leave now. Good evening, General, Commander." He bowed to both of us and then left the room.

I didn't know how much time passed before I slapped my hands on the table, yelling in anger. "Are you out of your goddamn mind?!" General Hux didn't even flinch at my outburst, just shrugged.

"I just saved your ass from an unwanted marriage proposal." He remarked with a cold tone. "You should be grateful, Commander."

I gasped, and this time threw one punch at the flat surface of the table. "No, asshole! You've just condemned us to a lifetime together as husband and wife!" At first he didn't understand why I was so enraged, but then his eyes widened and then lowered his face to the floor.

"I didn't know you were getting married, General." A low robotic voice spoke, and both our heads snapped to a tall figure dressed in black, a shady looking mask covering the man's face. "Commander Roan." He greeted me. I recognized him since I had met him twice on First Order meetings.

I straightened my back and took in a deep breath, trying to suffocate the urge to strangle General Hux. "Commander Ren." I said to the man. I was so busy screaming at Hux that I did not notice Kylo Ren enter the Conference Room.

"Get lost, Ren!" Hux spat out angrily. This was actual anger aimed at the Dark Force user, not just any bickering like the ones between him and me.

Kylo tilted his head at the fuming colleague and then glanced at me whilst I was pondering about what to say. "We're heading for Dreena." I told General Hux. Since Kylo Ren was back, I wanted to go back to my base and not set foot on the Finalizer ever again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Marriage huh? Lying has it's consequences. Did Hux lose his mind? ( ͡◉ ͜ʖ ͡◉)


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning: there's descriptions of **torture** and **blood** so please, if you're not comfortable with that, don't read!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone!! I wanted to thank you so much for the positive reaction that this story is getting, it makes me really happy!
> 
> About the torture scene, I am highly against things like those and just because my character is doing what she wants, it doesn't mean that I think that same way. I just wanted to make that clear. Sure, I could've avoided it, but I wanted to show just how much the OFC is willing to do for the sake of the First Order, and General Hux had to know too.
> 
> Without further ado, I present you with a long ass chapter (I have some hard feeling about this..)

General Hux was in a bad mood, everyone on the ship could see that, moreover the people on the bridge didn't dare make a sound or lift their eyes from their computer screens. His hands were laced behind his back as he stood stiff just staring out of the panoramic window, at the galaxy. He had that one expression with his brow furrowed, deep in thought, going through what had happened the day before. He tried really hard to put a reason for Esme snapping at him. All he did was help her, besides, she said 'to him' herself. Wait, Esme?! He always calls her Commander.

If anyone could make him lose his shit in that moment, that was Kylo Ren, punctually making his way onto the bridge to annoy his rival. "Are you thinking about the tables' dispositions for the wedding?" The robotic voice mocked him, but Hux ignored him with all his might. Or at least, he tried. A few curious eyes exchanged some glances before looking at the man in charge.

"Don't you have someone else to annoy?" General Hux spat back, not even looking at the Dark Force user.

A moment of silence passed between them before Hux finally shifted his eyes and looked at Kylo from his peripheral vision. That mask made him nauseous. "In that case, I shall go and meet with Commander Roan."

"No, you're not!" The General hissed. More than just a few eyes looked up from their work and watched the scene with anticipation of what would happen next. He lowered his voice and buried daggers with his eyes in the man's masked head. "We're landing on her planet in a few minutes, she has no time to waste with you."

One could say that the two of them didn't like each other for many reasons, but the truth was that they simply felt a mutual hate with a bit of rivalry, but still worked together because Supreme Leader Snoke wanted them to cooperate. Armitage didn't like Kylo because of his arrogance and immeasurable confidence with the Force, while Kylo didn't like Armitage because... Well, he liked nobody. 

"That's the opposite of what she has said to me the other day." Kylo said, a flash of the girl's pleased grin going through his mind. He wasn't one to indulge in carnal desires, but Commander Roan made him want more.

Hux's mind blanked out for a moment. What did the other man mean? Was there something that he didn't know about the two of them? Hux's train of thoughts was interrupted when Mitaka entered the control room and he, for once, let go of Kylo's stupid attempts to make him angry. "General, the Commander wants to know if you plan on joining her on the Seal Shuttle." Hux nodded and Mitaka quickly sent a message to the Commander's tablet.

 

We had finally arrived on Dreena, the General landing with me on my ship, while others of his troops followed right behind us on their own shuttles. I didn't speak to him, but I could feel the tense stare of his eye on the back of my head. The ramp opened in front of us and we strode out, the sides of my red coat floating lightly from the cold gust of wind of the planet. The General had a black coat hanging from his shoulder, but didn't seem bothered by the temperature.

"Attention!" Yelled one of my high rank officers, a squadron of black Seal Troopers on each side of the landing platform stomped their feet, before they turned towards the path we were walking on. "Salute!" Yelled the officer once again, the Seals kneeling down on one knee simultaneously.

"Now, this is a welcoming." I murmured to General Hux next to me with pride, before I resumed walking on the path that my troopers had created, heads lowered to the ground in respect for their Commander. When I first arrived on the Finalizer, I couldn't help but feel quite disappointed with the welcoming that I had received, that's why I wanted to show him how it was done.

"Are you insulting me?" He asked while strutting too beside me, my protective detail right behind us. "In that case, I want those clothes back." He eyes the clothes that he had given me and I was still wearing.

I chuckled. The familiarity of the base and my planet made feel more cheerful, despite the whole fake engagement situation. "Oh, not at all, General. I was just trying to ease up your tension." We stopped at the end of the path and I turned back to the troopers on the platform, receiving a look with a raised brow from the ginger. "Who are we?" I yelled the question to the troopers, and all of them stood up from the ground, turning our way.

"The First Order!" All the voices replied in unison, as the General listened carefully.

"We rose from the ashes of the Empire, stronger than ever." I spoke out, feeling words rolling off my tongue like sharp shards of glass. "Who will perish?" I yelled the question louder than the first time.

"The New Republic!" Everyone replied in unison.

"And they will perish, for they have yet to witness our true power!" I finished, a wild uproar of cheering voices praising my words. "I will nor bend, nor break, no matter what comes my way." I looked at General Hux, a serious and determined look on my face as I whispered. He finally understood: it weren't my troopers that made me who I was, but the opposite. If it weren't for my willpower and strong character built through the years, there would be no Seal Troopers. "Come, now, your researchers and engineers are waiting for their General." I turned on my heels and walked towards the main entrance of the base, leading the General.

Donys, my assistant, run up to me and the General with an anxious expression, cold sweat running down his forehead. "Commander Roan-!" He panted, trying to catch his breath, whilst not acknowledging General Hux's presence. "You father-" I panicked for a moment when he mentioned my father, fearing the worst.

"Did something happen to him?!" My heart skipped a beat and my fingers subconsciously gripped what was close to me, which was General Hux's left hand.

"Oh, no- he's fine." Dony said after catching his breath and shook his head. I released the breath that I was holding and let got of Hux's hand, furrowing my brow at my stupid assistant. "He's waiting for you in the conference... room." He trailed off when he noticed the death glare that I was giving him. "I'm sorry..?" He said a bit hesitant, not knowing what he had done wrong.

"I'm surrounded by idiots!" I blurted out in frustration, resuming my walk and headed for the conference room. My heart beat faster, but it wasn't for the previous fear, no... It was from something worse and I just prayed that this wasn't the case. The General had followed me, unsure of what was happening, and he wanted to make sure if everything was okay. I took in a deep breath and waved the palm of my hand in front of a sensory panel next to the doorframe, the double metal door sliding in opposite directions to let me in. "Father?" I called, and my eyes stopped on an old grumpy face, leaning on his knuckles and elbow on the table in front of him. Something was definitely wrong.

"From all the people..." He slowly pushed himself up from the chair and fixed his pupils on me. "From all the people that I could've heard the news... Admiral Attlee told me." I froze. I knew that would've happened.

"Father, please-" I breathed out, but I had no idea how to make this situation better. I turned around my head to look at General Hux and gave him a pleading look. 

Suddenly, my father burst out laughing and slapped the palms of his hands on his belly, bending on his knees. I went from utter fear to extreme confusion in a split second. General Hux furrowed his brow for a moment when we looked at each other and I silently replied with a shrug. "My daughter is getting married!" My father exclaimed and walked straight up to me to pull me in a hug, the air leaving my lungs from the unexpected gesture. It didn't last long; after he pulled away, he held my upper arms and just gazed at me with a wide smile, eyes filling with tears. "Let me look at you." He sniffled. In all of my life I had never seen him so happy, neither did he hold me in his arms with so much fatherly love. It left me... speechless. "And you, son," my father turned to General Hux, who straightened his back and lifted his chin, "let me look at you too." My father extended his arm and held out his hand for the General to shake. The ginger not only didn't know what to say, but neither did he expect to be dragged into an embrace by my father. Ex-Commandant Roan gave the young man a few pats on the back and finally let him go, then released a content sigh. "I didn't know you two were dating in the first place." He added, his smile turning in a small grin.

I mentally slapped myself out of my paralysis forced myself to speak. "It's a long story..." I chuckled, glancing at General Hux.

"...That Esme and I will share at dinner, tonight." My eyes widened at the ginger saying my name for the first time ever.. Oh, no. This was going to be a disaster. "I'm afraid we have some work to take care of first." He said, acting all polite and calm, as if his own lie wasn't bothering him anymore.

"Yes, of course." Ex-Commandant Roan nodded, shaking the General's hand once again. "I'll be in my quarters, then." My father stepped closer to me and gave me a kiss on the forehead, before he left the conference room.

I let out an exasperated and shaky sigh. "See, General? This is what I've meant." I whispered, averting my gaze and rubbed my aching forehead. "What do we tell him now?" I asked him. There was no actual backstory, nothing. The General and I knew each other only for a week or so. The more he was close to me, the more my life seemed like a joke.

"Marriage of convenience." Was all he said, fixing the sleeves on his wrists. I furrowed my brow whilst biting my bottom lip. It could actually make sense, but again, my father was thinking that we were doing it for love... which wasn't the case. "The only problem is that you don't have a ring, and your father must have noticed that."

"I can't believe that you want to carry on with this!" I should've strangled him when I had the chance. None of this would have happened. A long moment of silence passed between the two of us before I gave into the lie. I didn't want to break my father's heart. "Let's take care of why you're really here for, okay?" I said calmly, shoving the desire to run to the other side of the universe in the back of my mind. "I've got some people to interrogate. It won't take long." I informed him, since it had been put in my schedule days before.

General Hux nodded, then I left him in the hands of my assistant and directed towards the lower part of the building, a few floors underground, where my troopers had prepared one of the prisoners for interrogation in a secluded room. The first room that I had entered was pitch black, only a faint light coming through a one-way mirror on the wall in front of me.

"Commander." A Seal Trooper spoke out in almost a whisper, no usual helmet on.

I looked at a frightened man strapped in a chair in the adjacent room, oblivious to what was happening on the other side of the mirror that reflected his pale face. "Did you bring my clothes?" I asked the Trooper.

"Yes." He replied, voice sounding robotic even without his helmet on. He helped me take off my red coat and headed out of the room with it, leaving me alone to change in fresh black clothes and undergarments, throwing the used ones in a black bag that the trooper had also provided me. I took my time putting on my new clothes, mentally going through the interrogation, imagining all the possible ways the prisoner could answer and I effortlessly created a scheme to follow for each one. Finally, I tied my hair up in a high ponytail and opened the door to the room where the Resistance member was, stepping inside with a confident yet expressionless look on my features.

The man's head snapped my way as he heard the door open and shut slowly. He seemed to ease his nerves at my sight, but not completely, as he had no idea on who I might be. The man was around 35, orange uniform, probably a pilot. "You're not a Stormtrooper." He pointed out.

"Good eye." I replied casually, stepping closer to the man with my arms crossed in front of my chest.

"Aren't you a bit too young for being here?" The man asked again, a slight smirk on his lips.

"Let me make something clear..." I crouched down in front of him, amber eyes showing him that I was serious. "From now on, I'm the one asking the questions, and you're going to answer them." His smile faded while mine got wider. "Let's start with something simple, I'll even give you three seconds to think about your choice of words." He leaned back against the backrest, closing his fingers in tight punches, his wrists and ankles hurting from the restraints. "What were you doing on a First Order's planet?" I asked, standing up and crossing my arms in front on my chest. Three seconds passed and he didn't answer, which I knew would happen. "Who sold you the informations?" Again, he didn't answer. "If you're not going to talk, this whole thing can and will become bloody." I got closer to his face, whispering menacingly.

"Try me. I won't betray the Resistance." He spat back, narrowing his eyes at me.

"We'll see about that..." I nodded at his words, pulling back only to walk to the back of the room, where a table stood covered by a clean white paper sheet. I removed the cover, exposing a variety of tools meant to cause a lot of physical pain, and hovered my fingers over the shiny objects, then decided to grab something more traditional, a leather glove with a brass knuckle. "Don't mind me if I start liking to punch your face." I said lowly, suddenly appearing in front of the man and, without a warning, I landed the first blow at his left side of the face, pieces of teeth and blood spurting out of his mouth, from just one hit.

The man cried out in pain, tears falling out of his eyes and blood dripping down his chin. "Bitch!" He barely managed to say.

"What was that?" I feigned ignorance. "It didn't sound like the answers to my questions..!" I hit him once again, careful not to knock him out, because my strength could get out of control sometimes. "Start. Talking. Bitch."

"Fuck you!" He tried to spit his blood on my face, but I quickly avoided it, looking down at the Resistance rat.

"You know what's great?" I said, punching him again while holding his head with my left hand and hit with the other. "Even if you don't talk, we have more of your friends here that can't wait to be treated just like you!" I hit him again, him loosing consciousness. I let got of his brown hair and pulled back, taking in a long breath. "Goddammit, if you're going to waste my time, at least stay awake!" I gave him one last punch while he was unconscious and his eyes shot open in pain. Blood came out of his nose and mouth, left eye getting black as his skin became swollen. "What were you doing on a First Order's planet?" I asked him again, voice low as his right eyes gazed at me in fear.

"We- we..." He mumbled incoherently, making me sigh in annoyance. He thought I was about to hit him again and he started speaking more louder. "We had orders to take possession of the lab!"

I tilted my head. Well, that was quick. "Who sold you the location of the lab?" He shook his head, sobbing. "I want to know who." I repeated, making him flinch at the sight of the brass knuckles.

"I don't know..." He wailed. 

"Do you have any other information to the First Order's whereabouts?" I started taking off the glove, his eye following my movement until I disappeared behind him. "Well?" I urged him to talk.

"For as much as I know, that was the only one we knew about." He replied as soon as I came into view with another gadget in my hands, his right eye widening in fright.

"Are you lying to me?" I asked him, and he shook his head vigorously. "Are you sure?" He nodded, eyes fixed on the hacksaw in my hands. I saw the way he looked at the tool and smirked devilishly. "Oh, this?" I wiggled it in front of him. "Don't worry, I'm not going to use it..." His expression eased up, only to twist in pain again. "He is." The door to the interrogation room opened, and the mask-less Seal trooper that had brought him here entered. I turned on my heels and handed the tool to the trooper. "Get as much out of him as possible, then proceed with the next prisoner." The trooper nodded at the order and I left the room, closing the heavy door behind me. I was in the dark room again, feeling a pulsing ache coming from the back of my right hand, which I brought up to my face and saw a few dark bruises.

"Ten minutes." A familiar voice startled me, making me turn my head to the source of that voice. General Hux stood straight in front of the one-way mirror, hands clasped behind his back as his eyes looked at me. He'd been standing in the soundproofed room, observing the interrogation with curiosity. He wasn't one to participate in those kind of activities, yet he took note of the difference between our methods of interrogation.

"What about it?" I asked him, wondering why he was there with me.

"How much took you to make him talk." He replied, unclasping his hands and walked towards me, taking gently my bruised hand between his to inspect it. "Does it hurt you?" His voice lowered.

"No, I've had much worse." I shook my head, looking down at our hands. "I'm sorry you had to see that." I said with honesty in my voice. I wasn't embarrassed by my methods, I just didn't like people witnessing how ruthless I could get for the sake of the First Order.

I couldn't catch it at that moment, but he was intrigued. He thought of me as a strong leader with no fear of getting her hands dirty. "What we do..." The ginger said, still holding my bruised hand. "It doesn't necessarily make us monsters." He said, but I had quite a different opinion. One chooses to become a monster, not the other way around.

"Did you get your plans?" I asked him promptly changing topic, and slipped my hand out of his gentle grip.

"Yes." He nodded, left side of the face a little visible from the dim light coming through the mirror. "Why did you change your clothes?" The crease deepened between his eyebrows.

"You can't really see blood on black."


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heeeyyy there!! It's been quite a rough week and I've just finished my third exam. I have one more next week, so I'm afraid I won't be able to update with a new chapter, at least until I'm done with all this graduating thing (hopefully I'll pass, I can't deal with anymore school drama).
> 
>  
> 
> Anyway, I hope you like this chapter, I've had very different scenarios in my mind, but I've always ended up changing what I was writing until I was satisfied with this one lol as always, Tell me what you think! Thank you for the positive comments, I really appreciate your support! <3

I had just finished twisting my long hair up in a bun when someone knocked at the door to my apartment. I gave one last glance in the mirror at my make up and quickly picked up a pair of earrings, securing them on my earlobes as I went to open the front door. At first I thought that it was General Hux coming to pick me up for our dinner, but when the tall doors slid open, my eyes met the ones of Donys. "What's wrong?" I asked him with a furrowed brow when I noticed the distress on his features.

He nervously rubbed his hands against one another and hesitated before speaking. "Huh, I have something to show you, Commander-" He looked around the hallway to make sure that no one was around and I let him in, the doors closing automatically. His eyes narrowed at the sight of my bare back, the zipper of the black dress still needed to be pulled up. "Do you need help with that?" He asked me with a glint in his pupils.

"Just tell me why you're here." I replied, turning around to let him pull up the zipper. I led him to the sofas in the living room and he took something from the pocket of his jacket, setting it on the coffee table. He slipped one finger on the hologram projector at it switched on, a soft blue light appearing above the table. "What is that?" I asked in a whisper, but deep down I already knew the answer.

"A representation of what Starkiller Base should look like." Donys told me as my eyes were fixed on the round globe. I shifted my pupils, although I was speechless, he knew what I was thinking. How did he get them? "When you told me that General Hux needed help, I couldn't quite understand why did he specifically request yours. I asked someone down in the lab to make a copy. It took some time to decrypt it, but..."

"You did good." I said, returning to gaze at the hologram. I felt a tight knot in my stomach, and had to force myself to ask the question that was bothering me the most. "What is it capable of?"

"They haven't tested it yet, but according to one of the engineers that I spoke to, he said that the Starkiller can destroy entire star systems halfway across the galaxy." The hairs on my skin lifted up as chills run down my whole body.

That wasn't just a planet, it was a weapon of mass destruction created to incite terror. Whoever decided to stand up against the First Order, they would not have a chance of survival. For some reason, I wasn't feeling joyful about this... Just because we wanted to wipe out the Resistance, it didn't mean that I was okay with killing innocent people in a crossfire. Another knock at the front door made me jolt on my feet and I quickly switched off the device, then hid it behind a cushion on one of the sofas and gave one last glance at Donys. "Does anyone else know about it?" He shook his head. "Then let it stay that way." I whispered, then hurried to get to the door when someone knocked one more. "Sorry I kept you so long." I said, almost sounding breathless when I saw General Hux standing in the hallway.

He didn't say anything at first since he was too mesmerized by how elegant I looked. "As long as you're ready to go, then I don't mind." His pupils shifted from mine and he glanced behind me, noticing my assistant just standing awkwardly behind me, in my apartment. "Did I interrupt something?" The General asked, narrowing his eyes at Donys and then laced his hands behind his back, straightening his posture as if he was about to make assumptions to why my assistant was there.

"Work." I deadpanned, then looked at Donys and made a small nod for him to get out. The man awkwardly walked past us and excused himself, hurrying down the hallway to get back to his work. "Before we go..." I started saying, tentatively licking my bottom lip before continuing. "Is there any way I should call you besides General?"

He looked at me with an expressionless face for a long moment then let out a low chuckle, as if I had said something funny. "Armitage."

"Interesting..." I stepped out of the room and he held out his arm for me. I softly closed the fingers of my right hand around the sleeve of his jacket and we started walking down the hallway. "But I'm calling you Armin."

"No, you're not." Armitage protested and shook his head, as I guided him to the dining hall on the top floor. "That's exactly the reason why I don't let anyone call me by my name."

"Well, I never told you that you could call me Esme, but you did." I retorted, stepping out of the elevator with him in an enormous dining area. It was lit with many lights on the ceiling, tables covered with white cloths but only one, towards the end of the hall and next to a tall window-wall, was decorated and filled with food on top. "Father." I smiled at my old man when he saw us coming.

"My, you two truly look good together." Ex-Commandant Roan said with a smile plastered on his face.

 

The dinner was going rather silent. My father sat in front of me and the General was on my right side, just casually glancing at me from time to time. "Are you two really going to be that secretive about your relationship?" My father asked us after a while.

I almost choked on the wine and immediately set the glass down, coughing at the straightforward question. General Hux gave me a light pat on the back as I tried to gather my lost breath. The was no actual relationship, I thought, but a mutual desire to make each other's life the worst possible. "What do you mean?" I asked whilst cleaning the sides of my mouth with a napkin.

"You're engaged but there's no ring." He pointed out. Of course he had to notice that... I suddenly started feeling all of the food that I ate begin its ascension, but I tried really hard not to throw up. This whole situation made me feel sick. Why did I even accept to do it in the first place?

"It's currently getting fixed because it was too big." General Hux promptly spoke out and laid his hand on top of mine on the table. I tried really hard not to send him a death glare and just smiled shyly. This skin to skin contact made me feel really uncomfortable, but his hand compared to mine was really warm, not sweaty at all. Even though I wished to be somewhere else rather than having that kind of conversation, I couldn't help but think how the General was calm and collected, whilst I was dying on the inside.

"I see..." My fahter said with a low chuckle, then leaned against the backrest of the chair. "Have you already planned out the day of the wedding?"

"No!" I replied too quickly, earning a confused look from my father. "I mean, we've just gotten engaged, it's not like we had time to think about it... Right, darling?" I glanced at the Armitage and smiled a bit as I flipped my hand underneath his and closed my fingers tightly around his. 

He cleared his throat and nodded. "Yes, we first have to organize an engagement party." As soon as he said that I squeezed his fingers with all of my strength and he moved both of our hands under the table, squeezing back.

My father caught at the sudden change in behavior and raised his brow at us. "Is everything okay? You two look... Tense." If he only knew... It felt more like a childish act than tension.

I let go of the General's hand and stood up abruptly, almost knocking over the chair as my fingers closed around the neck of a bottle of wine. I turned around to leave, angrily muttering to myself. "No, this isn't happening- I can't deal with this right now."

My father and General Hux exchanged a confused glance and the ginger sighed heavily, before standing up too. "I must apologize for her behavior..." He slowly buttoned up his jacket. "She's been stressed out a lot, lately." My father's expression relaxed and he nodded. He knew how I could just snap and leave, I've been like that since I was a kid. He knew that I needed to be alone when I had something bothering me.

"Go, son." He said, and the ginger felt something strange in his chest. It was the second time that he had called him like that. "I know how difficult she can be, but don't let it stress you too. Esme has always been used to deal with her problems by herself."

Armitage nodded at the man and turned around to follow me. He walked out of the enormous hall and went down the hallway, where I've been aggressively pressing on the elevator's button to call it up, but it still wasn't coming. "Esme." He called for me, but all he received in return was a low growl. "Can you stop for a moment?"

The doors to the elevator finally opened and I stepped inside, pressing the a number to get to the training pools at the bottom of the building. He entered just before the doors closed and narrowed his eyes at me. "Stop looking at me like that." I said, without moving my eyes from the floor.

It took him a moment to realize that I was already a bit drunk from how much wine I had consumed during dinner, in fact, he didn't even see me eat enough. "Esme, give me the bottle." He held out his hand as he spoke with a calm voice.

"Hell no, don't even try to take it away from me or I will crush your face on the wall." Armitage winced at the passive aggression and lowered his hand, deciding to follow me and see what I was planning to do. When the doors finally opened, I stepped out and walked towards the large pool, taking off my heels along the way and threw them somewhere in the distance.

My head was feeling so heavy and all I wanted to do was sit by the edge of the pool and stare at the still water. The ginger stood close to me, fearing that I would jump in the water and drown, but exhaled a sigh of relief when he saw me sit down and dangle my feet in the cold water of the pool. "Jeez, I knew you hated me, but this is too much..." I slurred my words, chuckling bitterly at myself, for how pathetic I must've looked in that moment.

"I don't hate you." Armitage replied, sitting down beside me, but he crossed his legs.

"Sure..." I muttered, bringing the bottle to take a long sip.

"Stop-" He tried to take the wine from my but I shoved away his hands. "Esme, you're being really immature right now, you know that?"

"Fuck you, Armin!" I growled, setting the bottle next to me, far from his reach. "Just who do you think you are? You call me childish, but you're the one playing with my feelings!" His blue irises found my puffy amber eyes and he felt guilty for a moment.

"What feelings?" The General asked me. He knew perfectly that people like us had to put up a façade in order to be strong and not expose ourselves to other, so this was the perfect opportunity for him to break through that strong shield that separated us.

"The way you act all mighty and try to impress me with your looks and gifts makes me feel very stupid." I told him, having no actual control over what I was saying. "No one has gone this far just to get in my pants. If you wanted to have sex with me that night in your apartment, you should have said so."

The General's lips curved up in a grin and he raised one eyebrow up. "Why, would you have said yes?" He asked me, his heart beating faster in anticipation for the answer.

I shrugged nonchalant and bit my bottom lip. "Maybe..." I giggled, and he shook his head lightly at me with his smile widening at me. "But since you're acting like such an asshole, I won't marry you."

Armitage's smile faded slowly and he reached with his right hand for the pocket of his jacket, pulling out a small square shaped box. "If the circumstances were different, would you have said yes if I had asked you?"

My eyes widened at the sight of the ring box and I brought my hand to cover my gaping mouth. "Are you serious?" I whispered with suspicion. This could not be real.

The General nodded and opened the lid of the box, revealing a golden ring with the same ruby color gemstone of my necklace. "I thought about it, and I want to marry you."

I shook my head and immediately pushed myself up from the floor. "No, this is wrong-" I started saying, but my wet foot slipped on the tile and I fell straight into the cold water of the pool. I was so full of alcohol that my brain had stopped functioning and I thought that I was going to drown. Armitage didn't think twice before setting down the ring box and he jumped into the pool to pull me out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uuuuh who else would like to be saved by this wonderful man? (I do, yes please) Armin Jumping straight in the water to save a drunk idiot <3


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I present you with fluff and smut, but I also promise there's gonna be some angst in the next chapter, just to spice things up lol :3
> 
> Please, tell me what you think about the smut, I really need to know if there needs to be done some improving.

My lungs took in a deep breath and I stirred under the soft bedsheets, but I refused to open my eyes as a bad headache pounded in my head. I was lying on my back with my arms thrown up above my head, feeling quite numb from the unusual position, so I moved on my left side, feeling the material of the pillow damp against my cheek. I didn't quite realize it, but my right hand was moving up and down with a slow rhythm, and under the tips of my fingers I could feel something beating... A heartbeat.

My eyes immediately cracked open and I saw General Hux sleeping on his back right next to me, my arm thrown on top of his chest. My heart skipped a beat when I remembered how I got drunk last night during the dinner with my father, but after that my memory was just a messed up puzzle. I slowly removed my hand from his chest and lifted up a little bit the covers, only to retreat my hand and cover my gaping mouth. We were both very naked, not even with our underwear on. Brown locks of my long hair slipped on my face and I noticed how they were still damp, but I couldn't quite remember why.

Then it hit me like a brick. We went down to the pool, but what happened after? Did we really have sex? The headache was getting worse. "Shit..." I mouthed to myself, staring at the sleeping ginger next to me. He looked so peaceful...

"Why are you staring at me?" Armitage asked me with his voice low, eyes still closed as he turned his head towards me and only then opened his eyelids, the blue of his irises greeting me.

My cheeks started heating up as my fingers gripped tightly at the covers of the bed, and I squeezed them against my chest in embarrassment. "Why are you in my bed?" I asked him, the breath in my lungs hitched.

He let out a heavy sigh and turned his head to face the ceiling, then rubbed his eyes with his fingers. "You don't remember, do you?" He sounded disappointed, as if what had happened between the two of us last night actually meant something to him. "We didn't have sex, if that's what you're thinking about." Armitage said, and I felt a huge weight being lifted off my chest.

If we did not have sex, then how come we were both naked and the General was in my bed? The pool, I must have fallen into the water, I thought... Which also means that he took my clothes off before putting me in bed. If he was truly being honest, then I was thankful that he did not take advantage of me. "Thank you..." I told him, and he turned his head to look at me once again. We gazed into each other's eyes for a while before a small movement caught my attention from my peripheral vision. I glanced down at the bedsheets and noticed something poking up under the material, a smirk pulling at my lips. "You seem pleased by this whole situation."

"Can you blame me?" Armitage sighed out in frustration and started sitting up, but I pushed him back down on the mattress, before making a bold decision and so I straddled him, feeling his bulge against my exposed skin. I pressed the palms of my hands on his toned chest, which his uniform didn't do justice, because now I could clearly see just how much physical effort he had put on his body.

His pupils were fixed on my amber irises, anticipation lingering on his features as he waited to see what I was going to do next, until he couldn't take it anymore. His hands closed around my hips and he sat up, crashing his lips against mine, kissing me feverishly, and I responded the same way. This idiot, the one that could easily get me angry, he started a fire inside of me that I could not extinguish by myself. "I hate you..." I breathed out between kisses.

He flipped me on my back, onto the mattress, and laid between my legs as he pushed them apart with his hands. "I know." Was all he said, then he left a trail of wet kisses down my neck to my breasts and took in my scent. His fingers found my wet folds and he didn't waste time pushing in two digits, making me arch my back as a moan escaped my lips. "You're so difficult to please," Armin licked one of my nipples and looked up at my expression, "yet beautiful when you moan..."

He stretched me with his fingers, making more wetness pool out of my folds. He was rather slow and teasing, although I hated to admit it, the General was good at what he was doing. I glanced down and saw a grin on his face, pupils dilated as he was enjoying every little reaction he could draw from me. My hips bucked involuntarily against his pumping fingers and Armitage had to push me down with his weight to keep me from moving. "That's cruel of you..." I panted.

He retreated his fingers and massaged my clit, feeling my legs shake on his sides. "I'm enjoying the view." This side of him seemed really playful, quite the opposite of what he appeared to be in front of others, when his uniform was on. Without warning, I felt the tip of his member start pushing between my folds, and I let out a shaky cry as my arms snaked around his shoulders to bring him closer to me. Armin pushed inside of me at a very torturous slow pace; his nose hovered above mine before he leaned down and kissed me without rushing it, I let his tongue slip into my mouth and he didn't waste the chance to feel mine.

He had finally begun to thrust, not fast, but he did pull almost all the way out before he slammed back in with force. My fingers slipped into his red locks and I held his face close to mine, eyes gazing at each other from time to time. I was moaning softly, raising my voice only when he sped up his pounding, and I felt good. Every time I was so close to my orgasm, Armitage would slow down and I would cry out for more. "Just let me come already..."

He fingers gripped my hands and he brought them above my head, then pinned them down with just one, while the other slipped between us and his fingers massaged my clit. "Beg for it..." He whispered in my ear, making shivers run down my spine for how much demanding his tone had gotten.

I chuckled bitterly and tried to wiggle my wrists free but, even with one hand, he was stronger than me. "I never beg- ah!" I moaned when he thrust into me and hit that one spot that made my whole body shake with pleasure.

"I think you can make an exception for me." Armin trailed my jaw with the tip of his tongue and thrust in with the same force, again making me cry out, but he wasn't willing to make me come.

"Please..." I breathed out, unable to believe my own voice. My body had given in before my mind did.

His lips curved up in a satisfied smile and he added more pressure with the tips of his fingers on my clit, moving them too slowly for my liking. "Please what, Esme? I won't know until you tell me." Armitage was obviously taking advantage of this situation to make himself feel as the only one in charge of taking care of our needs.

"Make me come... Please?" I said it out louder and he let go of my wrists, finally, speeding up his pace.

"As you wish." He pushed my legs further apart, and started pounding faster, and I closed my fingers tightly around the material of the pillow above my head. My insides started clenching around his length and he added more pressure and speed on his fingers movements, until my voice broke through the room. "Yes, let me hear you screaming for me..." Armitage growled with gritted teeth, feeling his orgasm following mine.

"Fuck-!" I was suddenly left empty as he pulled out and closed his fingers around his member, running his fingers up and down until his seed spurted all over my abdomen.

 

We we still lying in bed, both looking at the ceiling, neither one of us wanting to talk about what had just happened. I couldn't help but think that I shouldn't have done it, but I that moment, when he was about to get out of bed, I didn't want him to leave, I really wanted him to stay. Then why was I feeling like crap?

"Why me?" I muttered, and Armin's head turned to look at me, a small crease between his eyebrows. "There are so many women you could marry, there's no point in marrying me if there's nothing between us..."

The ginger took in a deep breath and then exhaled slowly, before answering. "I thought I told you last night." My brow furrowed and my amber eyes met his blue ones. The more I tried to remember what had happened last night, the more I was disappointed when I couldn't. "You can be very annoying and get on my nerves, but still, I like you." Armitage told me.

I felt my heart clench in my chest at his words. "But are you really willing to spend the rest of your life with me by your side?" I insisted. I didn't want the General to tie himself to me just because of a terrible mistake, like helping me get away from an unwanted marriage proposal.

"It's better than getting married to a woman who I know nothing about." He muttered, sitting up on the edge of the bed.

Confusion settled on my features. He wasn't talking about me, but I knew that there was something bothering him. I gazed at his bare back and finally understood that he was trying to help himself too, not just me. "Is there someone else?" I dared to ask, and the ginger glanced at me from his peripheral vision.

"My... Father. He has made plans for me to marry the daughter of one of his closest friends. I've never met her." My heart skipped a beat at his confession. The General looked as if he had conflicted feelings about that matter. "Her family is quite wealthy and holds a high prestige among some higher ups of the Order."

I thought about it for a moment and pushed myself up on my knees, snaking my arms around his shoulders to let him lean against my chest. "He didn't leave you room for a choice, did he?" I had to ask, even though I already knew the answer. I didn't pity him, but I did feel sorry that Armitage didn't have a say in his personal life. No matter how much power he had in his hands, his father always seemed to have more power over his son. He didn't answer, just stared blankly in front of him with his head resting on my right shoulder. "Armin, if I marry you, is it going to be a huge problem to your father?"

I tightened my arms around his chest and he glanced up at my eyes. "Yes."

I leaned closer to his lips and gave him a light peck, smiling softly. "Then I'll do it."

The General's eyes widened in surprise and he pulled slightly away, to get a better look of my expression, trying to find some hidden lie, but I was serious about it. He let out a chuckle of relief and reached for a small squared box on the nightstand, which I didn't notice before, and he opened, taking out the golden ring with a ruby gemstone on it. A flash crossed my mind and I remembered the reason why I had fallen into the pool last night, because he had showed me the ring and I was left shaken. "Esme Faye Roan, will you marry me? For real, this time." 

Armitage asked me and I nodded. "Yes, Armitage Hux, I will marry you." He slipped the ring on my left hand and pulled me in for a long kiss, gently pushing me down against the mattress.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think is gonna happen next? lol Esme has some feelings for the General, but she still isn't admitting it to herself :3


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> By the way, I didn't proof read the chapter, so I'm not sure how many mistakes and typos are there, I might go back and read it some other time (:

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hellooooooo!! Well, if it hasn't been quite some time. I'm happy to inform you that I made it through my exams and I'm finallyyyyyy FFREEEEEE OMG okay sorry I've calmed down.
> 
> Okay so I was done last Wednesday, but after that I simply took a long pause and laid down in bed for days. I was both physically and mentally exhausted, and everything I tried to write just wasn't good, but I finally finished this new chapter and I hope you'll like it. I'm back at it with the slow burn loool Wish I could just jump straight to the good part, but plot is plot, and I have to follow it :3
> 
> Did you like the previous chapter? Armin is definitely head over heels for Esme, but she's so confused and stressed about that whole situation and just can't give him an actual shot. We'll see how it's gonna go :3
> 
>  
> 
> Enjooooy ♡

I gently brushed my hair back with my fingers and gazed at my reflection in the mirror, then moved a little bit the hem of my bathrobe to reveal a few hickeys left by Armin's lips on my collarbone. I let out a soft sigh and glanced at the man lying in my bed, his lips were curved up in a pleased expression and his blue irises were staring at me. "What are you, an animal?" I asked him with sarcasm.

Armitage brought up his arms to rest under his head and he chuckled, still giving me that satisfied smirk. His muscles seemed to pop out, and only his middle part was covered by the bedsheets. "Just admit that you enjoy having me around." Armin said, making me roll my eyes at him.

I let out an exaggerated sigh and covered the purple part of my collarbone. "Get dressed." I ignored his previous statement and went to pick out of the wardrobe some fresh clothes, slipping on some black undergarments first, all while he kept his eyes on me. "We've had enough time off, now I really need to get back to my work."

"What if you move on the Finalizer and work from there?" Armitage asked me, sounding quite serious about the suggestion.

I thought about it for a moment as I buttoned up my shirt, a deep crease between my eyebrows. "I don't think it's the best idea, at least for now..." I replied, slipping on a pair of black trousers and short heels. "Now, don't get too excited just because I said yes."

"Esme-" A high pitched ring came from my living room and interrupted whatever he was going to say.

Without looking at the General, I made my way to the living room and picked up the tablet from the coffee table, opening a message from my assistant. It was about some meeting that I had forgotten about. "Do you need me to show you the way out?" I asked a bit loud, jolting when I felt a strong pair of arms close around my waist and pull me against his chest. "What are you doing?" My voice lowered as confusion settled on my features. He has been acting all touchy-feely since I said that I'd marry him.

Armin nuzzled his nose into my hair and took in a deep breath, then exhaled softly just above my right shoulder. "I'm enjoying your company before you decide you'll come to live on the Finalizer with me."

The breath hitched in my throat as one of his hands traveled further down my belly and skillfully slipped inside of my pants, fingers touching at my folds, making them wet again. A gasped escaped my lips, and I immediately bit down on my tongue, trying to resist the urge to moan. "I still- don't like you..." I breathed out, taking in a sharp breath whilst my fingers clutched at the data-pad in my hands.

Armitage moved his lips close to my ear and let out a low chuckle. "Keep telling yourself that..." He whispered, then retracted his hand from my sex and let me go.

I turned around to look at him in shock as my heart beat harshly against my ribcage. The hunger in his blue irises made my knees feel weak, and I had to force myself to look away before speaking. "Just go." I said, then left my apartment in a hurry, taking long and fast steps down the hallways until I reached the elevator. I pressed the button a few times, hoping it'd come quickly to my floor, and when the doors finally slid open, I jumped inside and pressed the button to the conference room.

"That idiot..." I puffed, blowing at a loose strand of hair to move it away from my face as I crossed my arms over my chest, my cheeks were of a burning red color.

 

It had been almost two weeks since General Hux was back on the Finalizer, a small smile still lingering on his lips as he was reading some reports from his Stormtroopers' missions. He was actually feeling happy that Esme had finally said yes. He never thought about his future, about sharing his life with someone he considered important. Since he was a teenager, all he wanted to do was make his father proud of his work with the First Order, and the day he was nominated General, and at a young age, he couldn't have been more happy. Having a stable relationship with someone never crossed his mind, because he was dedicated to the First Order, married to his job to say the least, and he wanted to do anything in his power to aid the Supreme Leader with his plans to conquer the galaxy. But since the moment Commander Roan entered his life, he felt something change. Armitage saw an opportunity to brighten his lonely time, because being the General to the most feared organization in the whole galaxy made him stay away from feelings and intimate ties, Armitage knew that bonds could only be a burden to his personal interests, but Esme was something else. If he wanted anyone by his side, someone he could trust with his life, that would be her. He couldn't yet put a reason to his trust towards her, but he knew he could rely on her.

Whatever glint of happiness he had on his face just mere moments before, it all disappeared when the door to his office opened without warning and his eyes met the ones of his father. Armitage's eyes darkened when the angry expression of his father came into his sight. Brendol stopped in front of his son and slapped his gloved hands on the hard surface of the desk, but Armitage did not even budge, just stared at the furious man.

"Have you lost your goddamn mind?!" Brendol yelled as he removed his hands from the table to reveal a white envelope, the invitation to the General and the Commander's engagement party. Esme had agreed with him to host one on her planet in a few weeks. "What is this? A joke?!"

General Hux stood up from his chair and looked straight into his father's eyes, calmly speaking. "I'd appreciate you not using that tone when you're talking to me." Even though he was his son, he was a General too, and his father had to respect his decisions. "If you don't want to attend the engagement celebration, then don't." He deadpanned. Armitage would not let his father have a say in his life, not anymore. Brendol Hux never bothered to consider his son's wishes, moreover he's never considered him like his actual blood, more of a mistake with a kitchenmaid than anything else.

"I don't care!" The man yelled back in anger. His face was boiling red. "I had already made arrangements for you to meet Captain Crowpin's daughter." Brendol let out a long sigh with gritted teeth and scrunched his nose. "What am I supposed to tell them now?!"

General Hux tried really hard to keep himself calm and collected, but he could feel the tension inside of him boiling up, dangerously reaching the bursting point. He took in a deep breath and slowly made his way around his work desk, gazing into his father's blue irises, and spoke once more before leaving his office. "Tell them that they're invited too." The utter shock on his father's features was something priceless. The General left the room feeling relieved, a huge weight had been taken off of his chest. If he had just gotten himself in some trouble, Esme was worth it.

Armitage stepped on the bridge, hands behind his back as he glanced at his subordinates working, their eyes fixed on the computer screens. Days went by in a boring routine and there seemed to be nothing to do, yet he was full of work: meetings, paperwork, fighting back the Resistance when they meddled in the Order's business, more paperwork...

"You appear to be in an awfully good mood." A robotic voice said after stepping on the bridge too. 

General Hux slightly furrowed his brow and looked at Ren from his peripheral vision. "Does it bother you?" The ginger asked with a tilt of his head, sending daggers to the masked head all dressed in black.

"No, but I heard that Commander Roan is coming here today." Kylo shifted his weight from one leg to the other, eyes behind his helmet fixed on the General. "Supreme Leader Snoke wants to meet her."

That was strange, Armitage thought, but he didn't want to make assumptions. "I'll inform her once she arrives." He said, but the low chuckle, or whatever similar sound came from that horrible mask on the Knight's head, made the General cringe.

"No need to, I'll do it." Kylo told him, then left before the ginger could say anything else. Something was definitely going on, and Armitage didn't like it one bit. The interest that Kylo Ren showed towards Esme seemed to grow since he found out that she got engaged to the General.

 

The shuttle had finally landed inside of the Finalizer's hangar, after many hours of flight, and all I wanted to do was lay down and sleep. I left Dreena late at night and couldn't rest one bit, since the sole thought of meeting with Armitage made my belly turn upside down. I didn't really know why I was feeling like that, as if I was both excited and nervous at seeing him after two weeks. It felt like an eternity. But I had to force myself and tell him that I would be coming to discuss something important, well, not really discuss, but I had received a wedding invitation the day before and Armitage was invited too.

My protective detail marched down the ramp before me and the two Seal Troopers stepped on opposite sides of the ramp, waiting for me to walk past them. My eyes narrowed at the sight of Kylo Ren standing a few feet away from me, instead of General Hux. "Commander Ren." I greeted him with a faint smile. The sight of that mask gave me chills, unlike any other person who covered their face, I just couldn't shake off the uneasy feeling that settled in the pit of my stomach when Kylo Ren was nearby.

"Commander Roan." The robotic voice greeted me back. A moment of silence followed, and I could tell that his eyes were looking at me from head to toe behind their protective shield. "You must be tired." He commented, as if he cared about it.

I shrugged nonchalant and raised my brows at his words. "Work is work." I said, but what was really bugging me in that moment was why him and not the General.

"In that case, you should go and rest." The robotic voice made chills run down my body, talking to me as if we were some kind of friends. "The Supreme Leader wants to talk to you, tomorrow."

I knew who Kylo was talking about, but I've never actually seen this man. I knew he was Ren's master, but besides that, one could easily think that Snoke doesn't exist. "Is that why you were waiting for me?" I dared to ask. 

I felt a movement at both my sides and noticed the two Seal Troopers get in position to escort me. They knew that I didn't like Ren. "The General is waiting for you, Commander." One of them said, trying to cut short the talking.

I made a small nod at the trooper and looked once more at Kylo. "I'll see you around, then." Kylo didn't reply, he just stepped aside to let us walk past him as his eyes followed me.

We made our way through the hangar, full of First Order officials and Stormtroopers, but a tall man caught my attention, as he was walking towards me. If it weren't for all the wrinkles on his face and the few grey hair, I could've easily mistaken him for Armitage. The man's pupils fixed on me as he walked, a stern expression on his features soon turned in a mixture of surprised disgust. He stopped his march and looked at me straight in the eyes. "Esme Faye Roan." He said, voice low, a subtle menace in it. "We meet again, Commander, but you probably don't remember me-"

"Commandant Hux, I do remember you." I replied with a slight nod. This day seemed to be full of surprises. First Kylo Ren, now Brendol Hux, my soon-to-be-husband's father.

Commandant Hux twitched his lips and straightened his posture, lacing his hands behind his back, something Armin did too. "I see... I must congratulate with you, although I have to admit that I'm quite perplexed about your relationship with my son." My brow furrowed and my eyes narrowed at him. Considering what Armitage had told me, his father must've hated me, which was completely fine in my opinion, since I didn't like the man either.

"Wish I could say that I understand your concern, Sir, but I actually don't care." I flashed the man a big smile and cocked my head to the side. "Now, if you'll excuse me, my fiancé is waiting for me." I made a small nod to one of the Seal Troopers at my side and he stepped in front of Brendol.

"Move, or you will be moved." The robotic voice said menacingly.

Commandant Hux let out an exaggerated sigh and turned on his heels, stomping his feet as he walked away from us. I could see why Armitage didn't like his father, he seemed like a controlling person, cold gaze with judging eyes, someone who always wanted to have it his own way. But not this time. "This shall be fun..." I muttered, resuming my walking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thank you so much for the kind support, and keep leaving comments and kudos, I appreciate it a lot ♡


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> OMG guys I just noticed something, it’s been exactly 6 months since when I published this fan fiction! And I couldn’t be happier to thank you guys for such a positive reaction to this story, thank you so so much! ❤️❤️❤️ 
> 
> (Published:2017-06-18 ~ Updated:2017-12-18)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heellloo friends! It’s been months since I last updated and I’m finally back with more content :D Yyaaaay
> 
> Anyway, this chapter is really short, as I was trying to keep it sweet and all before a storm passes by hehehe please, tell me what you think about it, since it’s been a while I fear I might have gone a bit out of character, yet I hope this isn’t the case.
> 
> Have you seen The Last Jedi?? I’m extremely excited as I’m seeing it in about an hour at the cinema and I can’t wait to see General Hux and Kylo Ren - I’ve been waiting for my bad boys for such a long time I can’t beli it’s really happening!

The moment that office door slid open and my eyes met General Hux’s, my heart gave me the sensation as if wanting to jump out of my chest and the blood rushed through my veins, causing me to feel extremely hot when I stepped inside of the spacious room, leaving my protective detail behind the tall door.

“Commander Roan,” Armitage said in a formal manner as he stood up from his chair, barely able to hold back the small smile that crept on his features as all of a sudden his attention was shifted from his work onto me. A glance to his side and I noticed that the reason for his collected behavior, such as calling me by my official title, was Mitaka's presence, the usual datapad in his hands.

For some reason, even if I was feeling tired and just wanted to lay down in a bed and sleep, I couldn’t help but smile out of humor and tease the General. "For someone who’s just dealt with the Order's Council, you look rather joyful to see me, General Hux." I put emphasis on his title and last name.

Mitaka bit his tongue trying not to snicker at my comment and just took a step back while Armitage walked around his work desk and stepped closer to me, adjusting the hem of the sleeves of what appeared to be a new sleek black uniform, tight belt wrapped around his waist. "I admit I was looking forward to end this long day with your unique humor, but I sense more negativity than usual."

My brows arched at his comment and I just stared at him for a very long moment, then shrugged and started taking off my red coat as I replied. "I won’t even bother taking your words as an insult, because meeting Kylo Ren and your father was enough for one day." I pulled out of one pocket a white envelope and then shoved the coat in Armitage’s hands, only to walk past him and sit down in one of the guest chairs with a heavy sigh.

The General turned around slowly with one arched brow and glanced at his assistant, who was still standing by the desk with a datapad in his hands. "Don’t you have work to do?" He asked Mitaka with a stern voice and the other man flinched, before heading towards his superior with an apologetic expression and picked up the red coat, exiting the office. "So, you’ve met my father…" Armitage said as he stepped closer to his desk and leaned his firm butt against its edge. Apparently, that bothered him even more than his fiancée meeting Kylo Ren.

"Oh, yes," I smiled without real joy as I looked up at him. "Daddy dear has expressed his concern about our relationship." Armitage didn’t say anything about it, he just stared at me with a straight face, probably thinking about my words. "Anyway, I didn’t come here to talk about him…" My voice softened as I glanced down at the envelope in my hands, then handed it to him.

Armitage opened the lid of the white envelope and pulled out a golden card with red letters written on top. "A wedding invitation?" He murmured as he read through the message.

"Yes, not only were we invited," I smiled as I stood up and stepped closer to him, pointing at the bottom of the card, "but I was asked to be the maid of honor too." I didn’t realize how close I had gotten to him until Armitage turned his head to face me, and the tips of our noses were close to each other, so much we could feel our hot breaths. My smile faded as I swallowed a hard lump down my throat and took a small step back, but still leaning against the desk. "That is, if you can come with me."

 _She looks excited about it_ , Armitage thought to himself, but many questions crossed his mind at a fast rate and he hated to disappoint her. He took another look of the invitation, specifically at the date, which made his brows slightly knit together. "I would have to rearrange my plans and work extra hours…" The General murmured, unaware of his open share of thoughts.

I didn’t like social gatherings, especially weddings, which I rarely attended, but deep down I had really hoped that Armin would say yes, since my childhood best friend was getting married, the bride. There’d be a lot of people I knew, my mother was going to be there too and for some reason I didn’t want to face her alone. In her eyes, I was a disappointment since I chose my father over her. "I'll help you," I blurted out before I could process the meaning of my words. Not only was I drowning in paperwork and missions back on Dreena, but I had just offered to help the General with his work too.

"As much as I appreciate your offer," Armitage said, pushing himself off the desk and he slipped the invitation inside of the envelope, "I can’t accept it, Esme."

"Why?" I gasped with a tilt of my head, baffled by his answer. I wanted to release a breath of relief, but still, it didn’t feel right.

He took notice of how worn out my face looked, not even the perfectly drawn eyeliner and the mascara could shift someone’s pupil's attention from the dark bags under my eyes. The General could only assume I had thrown myself into work and barely slept at night, at least since he last saw me. As a Commander, leaving my base of operations meant that I had to double my efforts to get work done faster so I could free some of my time, and he as the General operated the same way. In his opinion, managing to be together in the same place was a miracle. "Because as long as you’re here," Armitage said with a soft voice, "you’re my guest… And my fiancée."

I pressed my lips together as I stared into Armitage’s blue irises, taking notice of how his pupils widened every time he looked at me. I smiled softly and gently took the envelope from his hands. "I can give you more time to think about it," I told him with a soothing tone, since I didn’t want him to feel pressured about it, his duties as the General had to come first, "and I will understand if you won’t be able to come."

Armitage stopped to think how that was the second time I ever showed him my kind and understanding self, the first being when he had opened up about his troubles with his father. "Thank you," He said, displaying a grateful smile, and did something I didn’t expect him to do: Armitage leaned in slowly and placed a chaste kiss on my lips.

When he pulled away, I was still standing there with my eyelids closed, holding onto my breath. My eyes fluttered open mere moment after I realized that his touch had left my slightly parted lips, meeting Armitage’s intense gaze, which made blood rush to my cheeks and turn away all flustered. Feelings made us human after all, and no matter how cruel and cold blooded we could be to the rest of the galaxy, I couldn’t deny the strong emotions I felt for him anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thank you so much for the kind support, and keep leaving comments and kudos, I appreciate it a lot ♡


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy here comes some angst. Captain Phasma And Commander Roan bond over something that doesn’t include men. (Will it pass the Bechdel Test? Wikipedia: _The Bechdel test asks whether a work of fiction features at least two women who talk to each other about something other than a man_ )

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually made an effort to give Phasma some bold yet kind character. I do believe that villains can be more than just expendable baddies. #CaptainPhasma4Life

My morning went pretty fast, I woke up in Armin's quarters all alone since he stayed on the bridge to work on an emergency, had breakfast in the living room with Millicent keeping me company while sitting on my lap the whole time, and finally went back to the bedroom to get dressed. This time I came prepared with luggage, the minimum necessities.

Armitage had hoped to spend the night with me, but Mitaka received word of one First Order outpost that got attacked by the Resistance and the General had to coordinate the mission. As he was walking back to his quarters, all he could think about was his Esme, he would have never thought that a person he knew so little about could mean so much to him. Although, Armitage had started to question if Esme was actually feeling something for him too, it was hard to understand her from the other side of that well built façade.

The first thing that he noticed when he set foot in his living room, was the clean table and the washed dishes in the sink, in the corner of the room. His pupils glanced at his feet when he felt warmth and pressure on his left leg, Millicent was greeting him. The ginger cat meowed, breaking the silence that filled the room, and made the General wonder if Esme was still there, or if she had left before he came back.

Careful not to hurt the cat, Armitage stepped forward and Millicent followed him to the bedroom. The door opened with a barely audible swoosh and there she was, the Commander looking at herself in the mirror. He didn’t notice how the room was tidy, that the bed had been made and all her clothes were folded and placed in the wardrobe, all he could focus on was the woman in her uniform. Her long hair had been twisted up in a simple yet elegant updo, and the makeup on her face was just a touch of mascara to compliment the amber of her irises.

"Armin," I saw him reflected in the mirror and turned around to face him, smiling nervously, "How do I look? It’s my war uniform." I asked anxiously and bit my bottom lip as I looked down. Fitting black clothes under an elegant heavy coat of the same color, red details such as the buttons and the lines along the hem of the garment were a nice contrast to the dark fabric, a true homage to the First Order's symbol that was embroidered on the left upper sleeve of the coat.

Armitage smiled reassuringly as he stepped closer to me and cupped my cheeks with the warm palms of his hands. "Ready to destroy the Resistance with just a glance, Commander."

The breath that I’ve been holding left my lungs when I chuckled at his comment, feeling a slight blush creeping on my cheeks, which made his smile widen even more. I’ve never seen him smile that much. "Thank you, General." I replied as I brought up my hand to place on top of his and he noticed that I was wearing the engagement ring. "Oh, right," I gasped and arched my brows, "How did the emergency go?"

"Everything’s under control now," he replied with a soft sigh, "although I could’ve used a good night sleep next to you." Cheesy, I thought, but it gave me a nice feeling behind my rib cage.

"In that case, I shall go." I told him as I gently lowered his hands from my cheeks, but still held them with my fingers. "You have to rest and I have a meeting with the Supreme Leader." I specified when I noticed the slight crease forming between his eyebrows. I could see the redness in his dry eyes from the lack of sleep, and his skin was starting to look worn out. "We could spend some time together later?"

"Yes, of course." Armitage said with a relaxed tone, and his whole posture relaxed too, as if he had been on the edge the whole time.

We stayed like that for a long moment, in silence, me wondering if I should kiss him. We did kiss the day before, but I wasn’t sure if I should’ve done it, so I just let go of his hands and left Armitage in the bedroom. The moment I stepped in the hallway, I almost bumped into a tall and shadowy figure, only to realize it was Kylo Ren.

That mask of his gave me the chills, but I still forced myself to be polite and greet him with respect. "Good morning, Commander Ren."

"It is certainly good for you, if you spent it in General Hux's quarters." The robotic voice spat out, almost mockingly, before he turned around on his heels. "Follow me, Commander Roan. You do not want to be late for your first meeting with Supreme Leader Snoke."

I scowled at Kylo Ren's back as he headed down the hallway, muttering under my breath. "Dickhead..." It was true what Captain Phasma told me, if there was anyone on the a Finalizer that General Hux hated seeing, that was the Dark Force user. Only time could tell how much I’d start hating him too.

Ren led me to a secluded area of the ship, inside of an enormous and dark hall. The lights switched on within a couple of seconds of us standing there in the dark, making me feel uncomfortable. A giant throne placed against the opposite wall lit up when a hologram appeared along the figure that impressively looked down upon us. Although I wasn’t one to judge a person by their appearance, Supreme Leader Snoke was horrifying to look at; he wasn’t human, but a humanoid alien with wrinkly skin and a deformed face.

Kylo Ren bowed to the Supreme Leader, and I felt obligated to do the same, bringing my right hand up to my chest, closed in a fist and I lowered my head. The man beside me suddenly reached up to his mask and a light swoosh of air was released before he took of the black helmet. "Supreme Leader, this is Commander Roan, Leader of the Seal Troopers." _That voice_ , I thought as I furrowed my brow suspiciously and glanced over at Ren. _Matt?!_

I refrained from gasping or doing any other facial expression as Snoke spoke to me, a deep voice that made my insides tremble. "Step forward, Commander Roan." And I did as he asked, taking slow yet confident steps towards the hologram and looked up at his deformed features. The Supreme Leader narrowed his eyes at me as he observed me, then relaxed back in his seat, sighing. "I’d expected more from what I’ve heard about you, child."

His comment left me baffled by such bluntness, as if I was nothing more than a mere object. I dared to speak, choosing carefully my words. "My apologies, Supreme Leader, but what did you expect, exactly?"

It didn’t even take a split second before the humanoid's brows knitted together, a light scoff made chills run down my back. "Someone worth my time," he spat out with disgust, "You were given an important role in the First Order. Our goal is the military domination of the whole galaxy, and you waste your army on aiding others when they’re failing at their tasks. Pathetic."

It hurt me right in the guts, and I couldn’t help it when my tongue run faster then my brain, anger clouding my better judgment. "The SEALTs are an independent division from the First Order," I retorted, "The whole program was specifically constructed to operate in aid of the Order’s front lines!"

"Careful, Commander Roan," Snoke roared, "my words are commands, and if you can’t bring yourself to do as I say, then you can be easily replaced." My jaw clenched when I heard his harsh words and the fingernails dug in my skin when I closed my hands in tight fists. Anger was building up inside of me, and I just had to restrain myself from saying anything else before I exploded. "I expect you to act upon your title, otherwise not even General Hux will be able to save you from failure." The hologram disappeared after Leader Snoke's last words and I just stood there in silence, coming to the awareness that Kylo was still standing a few feet behind me, or should I say Matt?

I turned around to face him and with all the calmness that I could muster, I put on a forced smile and just stared at him. "Put that ridiculous thing on, because I don’t want to see your face ever again," I told him as I started walking towards the door, " _Matt_." I intentionally bumped into his side before I left.

Whatever had taken me over, I needed to find a way to dissipate my rage, and the only thing I could think of was brute physical strength. So I head to the training grounds of the ship, and people stepped out of my way as if a hurricane was coming up. The first thing that they saw was the death-like glare in my eyes and then they noticed the war uniform, even the mech droids beeped in panic, rolling away from my path.

One harsh turn to the left and I was in the gym where I first met Matt; stupid Kylo Ren and his good looks... What an asshole, to play with me like a toy!

"Commander Roan?" The female voice caught me off guard when I entered the gym, and when I lifted my eyes from the floor, I saw Captain Phasma dressed in light training gear, long iron staff in her hands.

"Please, call me Esme," I told her as I unbuttoned my coat and carelessly dropped it on the ground. I didn’t want to heard the word Commander at least until I was done fuming like a furnace, since Snoke's words took a huge toll on my ego. "Do you mind if I join you, Captain?" I asked her and the blonde sensed that something was wrong, so she just threw the staff towards me and I grabbed it midair, twirling it above my head.

"Please, I’d love to fight with you." Phasma went to pick up another iron staff and came back quickly, eyes scanning my elegant clothes but not even those could mask the tension pouring out of every pore on my skin. "So, what’s bothering you?" The woman asked me after the ends of the sticks clashed together, a loud bang echoed in the gym.

I gritted my teeth as I held my ground and sighed through my nostrils. "Everything, mostly." I rotated quickly on my heels as I prepared to deliver another attack and swung the stick towards Phasma's right side. She swiftly blocked the blow and shoved away my weapon. "I’ve never been treated with such disrespect in my entire life!" I hissed through gritted teeth.

Phasma's fingers gripped tightly the cold weapon in her hands as she prepared to strike towards my feet and knock me off the floor. "I can only suppose that the meeting didn’t go well."

I jumped up and her staff missed my legs. "He called me pathetic!" I told her straightforward. We both stopped attacking each other to take a deep breath, and I could feel my rage slowly being overcome by the physical strain. "Captain Phasma, what do you think?" I asked her as she shifted her weight from one leg to the other, one hand brushing back the stray blonde locks from her sweaty forehead. "Am I wasting my resources?" If anyone could give me some good advice, I hoped that person would’ve been her. She was one of the people in the order that I respected the most.

Phasma tilted her head to the side as she thought about it, and then shook her head. "Esme, as your fellow colleague, I would tell you to follow Supreme Leader Snoke's orders..." Well, it wasn’t the answer that I was expecting. "But, as a friend, I need to tell you that you’re not pathetic." I straightened my posture and my expression brightened when I heard her words of encouragement. "I already told you that I admire your exceptional work with the Seal Troopers. We both know what it takes to rise in the ranks when the competition is dominated by men. So, give yourself time to think about what’s the best thing to do in your opinion."

I was gazing at her in awe, she had really given me wonderful words of encouragement. I smiled softly and averted my eyes for a moment, glancing down at the floor. "Thank you, Captain Phasma." I told her as I stepped forward and held out my right hand.

"You can call me just Phasma," the blonde replied, shaking my hand with a firm grip and a proud smile on her lips. "And you’re welcome."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thank you so much for the kind support, and keep leaving comments and kudos, I appreciate it a lot ♡


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lots of angst and drama, some swearing here and there

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woah, two chapter updates in one day! I'm feeling very productive :D

My mood had improved considerably since I had met with Captain Phasma, and we even had lunch together in the cafeteria with other higher ups. The problems returned the moment I was summoned by General Hux in a conference room, and Mitaka didn’t have a reassuring expression on his face when he came to see me.

"Armin?" I called out for him the moment I crossed those two sliding doors. My heart skipped a beat when the ginger turned around to face me, hands clasped behind his back and stiff posture.

"I received a message from Supreme Leader Snoke, Esme." His firm tone was enough to send my brain in override, and the lack of warmth in his eyes forewarned me of what he was going to say. "Do you even realize what kind of behavior you displayed in front of him?"

My brow furrowed immediately as I took a step forward and tilted my head to the side. "Sure, let’s talk about my behavior when he called me a pathetic child." I deadpanned.

The General's expression contorted in annoyance before he raised his voice in clear anger. "You should’ve restrained your tongue. Not only did you make a fool of yourself, but-"

"What?" I interrupted him abruptly, raising my voice to match his. "Did I make a fool of you too, hm?" He didn’t answer to that, just took in a deep breath through his nose and lifted his chin up.

"I don’t have a problem going against my father, Esme," Armitage said after calming himself down, "but if the Supreme Leader decides that you’re unfit, we can’t get married."

Straight for the jugular. I was taken aback by his cold shoulder on this whole situation, and it made me think that he didn’t care at all about me, he just wanted to get out of an unwanted marriage with an unknown woman. My eyes started burning when something in my chest tightened, aching terribly, but I didn’t want to show weakness and held back the tears. I bit my bottom lip and turned my head to face anywhere else but looking at him.

"If that is your final word," I slipped the golden ring with the ruby gemstone off of my finger and held it out to him, "then you can take this back."

General Hux’s jaw clenched as he glanced from my face to the ring, and took the small piece of jewelry from my fingers. "Why don’t you look at me, at least?" He scoffed. "Did I hurt your feelings and now you’re crying?" He truly was heartless.

My head snapped towards him and I arched my brows before replying. "My mascara's too expensive to ruin it by crying, but just know that I am feeling a lot of things on the inside. Mostly desire for murder." Armitage didn’t say anything else as he headed towards the exit, when I spoke to him one last time. "By the way, Kylo Ren knows how to please a woman. You couldn’t even do that."

The General stopped dead in his tracks when he heard those words leave my mouth with such spite, and he clenched his fists on his sides. With the engagement ring crushed between his fingers and his hurt ego, he left the room without looking at me, Armitage just stormed off.

As soon as those doors closed, a heavy sigh escaped my lips and I covered them quickly with one hand, the other reaching out to support myself against the nearby conference table. Tears just streamed down and that stupidly expensive mascara stained under my eyes and my flushed cheeks.

General Hux was almost stomping his feet as he headed back towards the command center on the bridge. He couldn’t even bring himself to imagine how Esme could’ve done such a thing, moreover with that disgusting jerk of Kylo. "If only I could blast his head off…!" He hissed under his breath. He was feeling humiliated, he thought he had given her his heart, and yet she ditched it like a piece of garbage.

Mitaka was escorting Commander Roan's lieutenant and assistant when they encountered a fuming General Hux in the hallways. Mitaka wasn’t fast enough to catch on the ginger man's emotions before he spoke. "General Hux, is Commander Roan in the conference room? Lieutenant Donys has landed just about now to-"

Armitage rolled his eyes as he looked at Donys. "Can people please stop boarding my ship without my authorization?!" He yelled, and then resumed his hostile strut not even caring to answer to Mitaka’s question.

"Uh, I think it’s best if I find the Commander on my own." Donys suggested, to which Mitaka nodded hesitant for a moment, then told him that he’d go after the General. The two parted ways and Donys hurried towards the conference room. He saw his Commander sat in one of the seats, forehead leaning in the palms of her hands and elbows placed on top of the table. "Commander?" He approached her with caution and placed one comforting hand on her shoulder.

I recognized Donys' voice and glanced up at him with bloodshot eyes, smiling faintly. Now there was an actual reason to be pathetic. "There can’t be good news if you left Dreena." I said with a raspy voice from all the sobbing.

He had never seen me in such a bad state, in fact, he had never even seen mascara smudged under my eyes, let alone black streaks like those on my face right then. Yes, he was bearer of bad news, and he forced himself to speak even if he didn’t want to trouble me. "We have a crisis."

"We can’t have a crisis, my schedule is already full." I retorted as I pushed away his hand and stood up from the uncomfortable chair.

Donys reached inside of the left pocket of his jacket and pulled out a perfectly folded napkin, handing to me to dry my face. "We have intercepted a message, possibly from the Resistance, and it was said that they’re planning to attack during the wedding of your friend."

I stopped rubbing the napkin against my skin when he said that and bit my tongue. There was no limit to how much things could get worse on a daily basis. I sighed softly through my nostrils and made a small nod. "Alert my protective detail that we’re leaving immediately. There’s been a change of plan in my schedule."

 

"What kind of idiot are you?!" General Hux yelled at a technician for reporting to him on. There had been yet another unfortunate event on the Finalizer, as Kylo Ren had lashed out with his lightsaber on expensive equipment earlier that morning, right after his meeting with Commander Roan and Supreme Leader Snoke. So the short electrical problem was caused by the Dark Force user, the General thought. "What the hell took you so long to report to me?"

The poor technician quivered in fright in front of his superior, and didn’t know what to say, he didn’t even want to lose his job. "We tried to salvage the equipment, but it’s impossible since it’s completely destroyed… Sir."

"Your incompetence will be punished," General Hux yelled one more time before pushing the man out of his way, headed towards the door. He stopped in his tracks only to yell more orders to his terrified crew, then disappeared to go and have a few words with the Master of the Knights of Ren.

It didn’t take him long to reach Kylo's quarters, he didn’t even have to bang his fist on the door, as it slid immediately open to reveal a shirtless man. "How many times do I have to remind you not to destroy my property?!"

Kylo smirked briefly. He sensed the General's mood from across the spaceship and knew right away that he was coming to argue with him. "Are you sure you don’t want to talk about something else of great importance?" He teased, "Like Commander Roan leaving the Finalizer without her engagement ring?"

Oh, how he wanted to punch him, but couldn’t. "Careful, Ren. Esme is not a plaything for your sick and twisted mind."

Kylo’s bare chest rose as he took in a long breath and shrugged nonchalant, taking notice of how Hux used her first name instead of her title. "Is that jealousy I sense, General?" He mocked.

"Stay away from her." General Hux's voice lowered dangerously, a subtle threat aimed to discourage the Knight from attempting to seduce Commander Roan ever again. "And stop destroying valuable pieces of our equipment!"

 

Gracelea, one of the most beautiful green planets in the galaxy and one of the wealthiest. It felt like a nightmare to land on my home planet after so many years on living on Dreena. The White Castle and its tall windows reflected the bright sunlight as the red and black shuttle lowered from the sky onto a landing platform. The Royal Guards had circled the entire area, keeping an eye out for the newcomers.

My Troopers lined up on both my sides in the hangar, holding up their blasters, ready to march down the ramp that opened as soon as we touched ground. The bottom of their boots created almost a perfectly matched rhythm as they descended onto the firm ground, and when half of the Seal Troopers were out, I descended the ramp too, stepping out of the shuttle with pride and a sense of authority.

Amber eyes that matched mine were staring coldly at me from the distance. The Troopers stopped their march and on both sides turned on their heels to face me, while I strutted down the newly formed isle towards the brunette woman with a shining crown on top of her meticulously styled head. The dark blue gown was a nice contrast to her light skin tone, aged in the face but still covered in makeup to look younger.

I stopped my strut in front of her and raised the tip of my nose higher, holding intense eye contact before speaking. "Greetings, Queen Faye of Gracelea." I couldn’t hide the biting humor with which I said her name, despite the fact that she was my mother. Actually, I didn’t want to hide it at all.

The woman scoffed bitterly as she looked at me from head to toe, disgust in her scrunched nose as she could barely look at my First Order uniform. "The wedding is supposed to be in two days," she reminded me, "I don’t see why you disturbed yourself with coming here so early, Esme." She was still reluctant to call me by my official title.

"That is the reason why I’m here," I told her, before turning around to my Troopers. "Scatter around and map out the area, report as soon as you’re done." My mother entwined her fingers together as she awaited for me to explain myself. "Shall we go and discuss somewhere more private?"

 

"If you think someone from the Resistance would be able to land on my planet undetected, you’re wrong." Queen Faye retorted. I told her about the message that my base had intercepted and the wedding was mentioned along with a female target, yet we didn’t know who that was.

I watched from the window as Troopers marched in groups of two in the garden, obeying strictly to my orders. I stepped away from the window and slowly paced across the studio, deep in thought. "Mother, this is a serious matter." I repeated for the second time since we had closed ourselves in that room. "There will be First Order officials of all ranks and civilians attending the wedding."

"Esme," my mother called for my attentions as she stood up from behind her desk, "is it true that you’re getting married?" Her whole behavior changed and her voice sounded sad as she asked me that question. Despite switching the attention from one subject to another, I looked at her from my peripheral vision without replying. "Your father told me."

"I didn’t know you still talked to him..." I mumbled softly, still not looking at her. I didn’t want to tell her that there wasn’t going to be any wedding, it would’ve been one more thing on her list of 'Daughter's failures'. "Why do you even care?!" I suddenly burst laughing hysterically. "The first thing that you did when I left with father was disown me!"

"You stupid thing!" She yelled back as she circled her desk and stepped closer to me. "You were born in a royal family and you threw all of that away to be- to be some kind of soldier!" She motioned with her hand to my outfit.

"And I regret nothing about it." My lips were slightly parted in shock. How could she not be proud of me just like my father, I asked myself. "Look at me, I’m the Commander of the most feared army in the galaxy, not even the Stormtroopers can compare to my men's strength!"

"What about your home planet, hm? What will happen to it once I’m gone?!" Queen Faye broke her impenetrable façade as she let a sob escape her red lips. "I never wanted my daughter to become such a monster, you’re gonna get yourself killed."

My life fell apart in a matter of two days and I was about to lose my sanity. I knew I was stronger than my failures, but I was still feeling like a huge piece of shit, a disappointment. I recollected myself and looked at her with the most expressionless face I could pull off, and spoke calmer than before, "I expect your Head of Security to forward me the details of the guests' protection, otherwise there might be a disaster instead of a wedding."

"Fine," The Queen gave in reluctantly. "You don’t have to leave Gracelea. I’ll tell the maids to prepare your old room for the length of your visit."

"I appreciate it." Was the last thing I said before leaving the Queen’s studio with a bitter taste in my mouth.

As I roamed the garden mindlessly, all sorts of things ran through my head. First the meeting with Supreme Leader Snoke, then the fight with Armitage and now the never ending conflict with my mother; it felt as if some kind of intangible force was plotting against me to make me look miserable. I could've easily lived with the consequences derived from clashing against Snoke and Queen Faye, but I wasn't expecting the General to hurt my feelings like that, not after I started caring about him. I had really hoped in _something_ more for us. 

"I was counting on the wrong person..." I murmured to the wind as the tips of my fingers traced the ruby gemstone of the necklace around my neck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo lovelies, what are your thoughts on what's gonna happen next? Have I been terrible to my characters? hehehe the show must go on *smug devil emoji*
> 
>  
> 
> Thank you so much for supporting my work! <3


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas everybody, and happy holidays to those who don't celebrate it but have other reasons to be happy too! I hope you're having a great time and that you're feeling loved. ♡
> 
> I wanted to thank you again for all the love and support you've showed so far to this story, it really means the world to me. Both chapters, 14 and 15 are a trainwreck of angst, but I promise things will get better!
> 
> As always, write me your thoughts, I'm always happy to read your comments!

With one eye open and the other one closed against the pillow, I silently watched as the light filtered through the curtains in my old bedroom. It did bring back some memories to spend the night there; my mother used to sing me lullabies to make me fall asleep and in the morning she would-

The double doors to the bedroom were sprung open and I shot up on the mattress, all the while reaching for my small blaster under the pillow and pointed it at the person who dared to enter so boldly in the room.

A scream erupted from my mother’s red drawn lips and she covered her eyes in fright. "Why the hell do you sleep with a weapon?!" She whined as soon as she was done screaming for her life, which made the Royal Guards run inside of the room.

I let out a heavy sigh and lowered the blaster, rolling my eyes as I pushed away the covers and circled the bed in only a short nightgown. "False alarm, everyone," I said to the guards in a raspy voice, "the Queen is alive and well... Unfortunately." I whispered the last part to myself.

My mother groaned when she saw the way that I was dressed and started yelling at her men. "Get out of here," she said when she noticed them not moving and holding their eyes on my naked legs, "You perverts!" And they did as she said, but soon about five maids stepped inside, closing the doors afterwards.

I just stood there with a pounding headache while two maids opened the curtains, two others started making the bed, while the last one headed towards the wardrobe with my mother. "Um- what are you doing?" I dared to ask the Queen as I crossed my arms in pure annoyance. "Oh, place the blaster on the nightstand," I told one of the maids when she hesitantly reached for the weapon, "safety’s on."

"Well, darling," my mother turned to face me with an all too pleased smile, "since you’re already here, I think you should try on the dresses I picked out for you as Juliane's maid of honor."

I arched my brows and couldn’t help but think about Brendol Hux, since he appeared to have many things in common with my mother, starting with the fact that they always wanted to have it their own way. “Mother, I don’t need a dress, I already have one,” I retorted as I looked towards the window, my First Order uniform had been folded the previous night and placed onto an armchair before I went to bed. “I just need to get it shipped.”

“Nonsense, Esme,” Queen Faye chuckled for a moment before she glanced at one dress that the maid was pulling out of the wardrobe and nodded. “As tradition wants, the maid of honor that comes from a royal family must wear her planet’s finest gown.”

“What’s next?” I snickered as I removed the nightgown, walking across the room in just a pair of black panties to shock the women around me, breasts free to jiggle before I clasped on a black bra. “Are you gonna make me wear a tiara too?” I asked jokingly, but when silence followed my words, I forced myself to look for my mother’s stiff expression. “I’m not wearing a tiara!” I snapped and finished dressing in my uniform.

“Before you were Commander Roan,” Queen Faye spat out with venom laced in her voice, “you are Princess Esme of Gracelea. I won’t argue about it anymore.” I didn’t say anything else about it, just gazed at her with slightly knitted brows. “Now, choose a dress.”

Three maids lined up next to each other, holding up three beautiful gowns for the occasion, but only one truly caught my eye, although I wasn’t one to indulge myself in such a privileged treatment. I stepped closer to the ruby red gown and admired the way it flowed towards the floor. Diamonds were embroidered on the heart shaped chest piece, no shoulder straps, and below the tight waist the skirt was silky and smooth, tail longer than the front.

My mother smirked at the shine in my eyes, and didn’t hesitate to interrupt the moment that I was having while looking at that dress. "This one is perfect, right? It will be a lovely match with that necklace of yours." She motioned gracefully with one hand.

It felt as if the air had been knocked out of my lungs from a harsh physical blow, but it was actually caused by her words which brought up in my mind Armitage’s face. "Glad you think that." I sighed. Her joyful mannerisms made my insides turn upside down and dwell on my current negativity, I just hoped to feel better for the wedding.

"Then it’s settled." My mother beamed, and the maids immediately put away the other two dresses.

Someone knocked on the door and one of the maids looked at the Queen for permission to see who that was, and as soon as the woman made a small nod, the young maid went to open up. A tall woman in her thirties entered the bedroom with a smile plastered on her face, short black hair neatly brushed back could’ve almost made her pass as a man, if someone had to look at her from behind.

She bowed to the Queen first, and then to me. "Princess Esme, it’s an honor to meet you." She said with a honeyed voice and introduced herself, "I’m In-Mar, Head of Security to the Royal family."

I tilted my head to the side as I took in her appearance, white boots and pants, red shirt tucked in with a white blazer on top, but overall didn’t seem to have some great physical strength. I held out my right hand and she gazed at it for a moment before finally shaking it. "It’s Commander Roan," I corrected her, taking notice of her sweaty palm and the light way with how she squeezed back my hand. She wasn’t a fighter, I thought, and it made me question her capability to protect my mother.

The way I talked to her made her left eye tick, but she kept on her bright smile. "Yes, my apologies."

"Well, then," my mother stepped into the conversation only to excuse herself before leaving, "I’ll be in the garden having breakfast and working on the last details of the wedding." She looked around and spoke to the maids. "Ladies, gather up and follow me." And just like that, she left, In-Mar bowed again to her.

"So, In-Mar," I begun while heading towards a mirror, "I imagine the Queen briefed you on why I’m here." My long hair was still a mess, I noted, and so I brushed my fingers through the long brown locks, getting rid of the knots before braiding it.

"Yes, Commander Roan," she replied quickly, her cheerful smile left place to a more serious expression. "But you have nothing to worry about, I have all under control and everything is strictly planned."

I glanced at In-Mar in the mirror and tied the end of the braid with an elastic before turning around to face her. "My men were already given instructions to patrol the area both inside and outside the castle."

"Will you, by any chance, be wearing a tracking device?" She asked, which made me furrow my brows at her.

"Why do you ask?" The tone of my voice lowered as I slowly paced towards her.

"If not, I would’ve provided you with one," In-Mar replied after licking her lips anxiously.

I just stared at her in silence before nodding my head. "I’m always wearing one so that my protective detail can find me."

"Good," was the last thing my mother’s Head of Security said.

 

General Hux was in his office, a stack of papers on his desk awaited his signatures, but he was too caught up in staring blankly at that stupid ring in his hands. How could he have been so stupid and treated her like that? She probably didn’t want to see him ever again after what he said to her. _No_ , he mentally slapped himself, Esme was the wrong one. Armitage should’ve played along with his father's wishes and by now he would’ve been married to a woman he would’ve rarely seen, only to conceive children when he visited her on her home planet.

It would’ve never worked out with Esme, she was an independent woman who served the Order with her body and soul. Where would any of them find time to see each other? Love wasn’t an option, he should’ve known that from the very beginning. Armitage had a future ahead of him, and Esme had one too, just a different one.

General Hux sighed as he rubbed his temples with his fingers, then slipped the golden ring in the pocket of his jacket, returning his eyes to the stack of papers. He barely managed to read the first list of things to approve when his eyes landed on the drawer on his right. Armitage groaned and reached for the handle with frustration in his eyes, he opened the drawer and pulled out the envelope that Esme had left him. The wedding was today and his name was on the list of guests.

 

I felt a knot tighten in my belly as I looked at myself in the mirror, wearing that expensive ruby red dress made me feel like a child again who used to roam the White Castle and the gardens without any care. There was a time when I thought that being a Princess was the most fulfilling role I could play, but meeting Armitage Hux when I was thirteen changed me drastically.

The maids helped me dress and they styled my long brown locks into soft waves on my back, adding jewelry where necessary to make me look more regal. At some point, when one of the young maids gently took my left hand in her to place a ring on my finger, I quite abruptly retracted my hand, only to apologize when I realized how stupidly I had behaved. "I’m sorry, I just don’t want to wear any rings," was the excuse, but in reality, I still had the feeling that my engagement ring was there, when in fact it wasn’t anymore.

"What’s taking you so long?" My mother barged yet again in my bedroom without any warning. "The bride is waiting for you in her lodgings to help her get ready."

The maids all stepped away as I stood up from the chair in front of the vanity table and turned around to face her. Her lips parted as her eyes gazed at my appearance, speechless. "I’m ready to go."

She shook her head and made me furrow my brows at her. "Something is missing." Queen Faye said, before nodding raising one of her hands in the air and another maid with a guard entered the bedroom, carrying a golden chest. "Sit down," my mother told me and I reluctantly sat down once more, facing the mirror. The maid placed the chest on the vanity table and opened the lid, making my jaw drop.

"Are you joking?" I whispered softly, disbelief in my face full of makeup. "Is this a wedding day or my coronation day?!"

"Oh, Esme, always so dramatic." Queen Faye giggled as she picked up the diamond tiara and placed it on my head. Strangely enough, it fit me like a glove, except it was on my head and was heavier than a Seal Trooper's helmet. "Now you’re ready to go."

 

I knocked on the bride's door and someone opened up quickly, letting me walk in. "Juliane…" I gasped when I saw my childhood best friend in her wedding dress. The girl was beautiful, light blonde hair and grey eyes were enough to make anyone fall in love with her.

"Esme!" The bride squealed when she turned around and saw me. She almost tripped over when she stepped off a platform that was supposed to help the maids add the last touches to her wide gown. "It’s been so long, I can’t believe you’re here!" She launched her arms around my shoulder and hugged me tightly.

"You too…" I pulled back after a moment and just gazed at her with a joyous smile on my face. "You’re- absolutely beautiful. I can’t even imagine your future husband's face when he sees you."

"I know, I know!" Juliane sighed dreamily. "I hope he’s good looking and young."

Her words made my heart skip a beat. "Could you leave us for a moment?" I asked the maids and they bowed before leaving the room. "What do you mean, Julie? Have you not met him?" Oh, no, I didn’t know this was an arranged marriage.

"Well, I was supposed to meet another man some time ago, but word got out that he was already engaged and so my father got angry and decided to give my hand in marriage to someone else." Juliane explained to me, but she didn’t seem bothered at all by this whole arrangement thing, and as much as I understood, she didn’t have a say in it either.

I was afraid to ask, but I swallowed the hard lump in my throat and gently took her hands in mine. "May I ask you who were you supposed to marry in the first place?"

Juliane tilted her head to the side as she was thinking about it, and then nodded her head. "The son of one of my father's closest friends, Armitage Hux."

 _It was all my fault_. I forced a smile on my red lips and put one arm around her shoulders, "It's getting late, we should go." Juliane nodded excitedly and clapped her hands together, smiling brightly for her big day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, Merry Christmas and happy holidays! ♡


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas everybody, and happy holidays to those who don't celebrate it but have other reasons to be happy too! I hope you're having a great time and that you're feeling loved. ♡
> 
> I wanted to thank you again for all the love and support you've showed so far to this story, it really means the world to me. Both chapters, 14 and 15 are a trainwreck of angst, but I promise things will get better!
> 
> As always, write me your thoughts, I'm always happy to read your comments!

General Hux was about to land on Gracelea with Mitaka, who found himself being dragged into the formal occasion by his superior as a way to keep unwanted attention away from him. The ginger man had dressed himself quite elegant, opting for a simple black tuxedo instead of a First Order uniform that had been designed specifically for these kind of events. Mitaka was dressed elegant too, but one could clearly see the difference in the materials used for the two gentlemen's clothing.

There were numerous spaceships landing on the ground to accompany their owners, all gathered in one place to celebrate the wedding of Major Kellreec Grimax and the daughter of Captain Crowpin, Juliane. General Hux knew that he was entering dangerous waters, since he was the one supposed to marry her. In his mind, Armitage had a reputation to maintain and there was no better way than to show up at the wedding, despite the knowledge that Commander Roan was going to be there too. He swallowed his feelings and strutted head held high towards the entrance of the White Castle.

He was greeted at the door by a guard and Mitaka promptly showed the invite to the man, who let them enter. The first thing that caught the ginger's attention were the number of the guests, everyone came from the high ranks of the First Order, but as much as his attentive eye could gather, Armitage concluded that he was the only General present.

"Sir," Mitaka leaned closer to his superior, making sure that no one would hear him, "have you noticed the Seal Troopers guarding the castle?"

Of course he had noticed them, the Queen of Gracelea must've made arrangements with Commander Roan to bring extra security for such an important gathering on her planet. The Royal Army, in the General's opinion, wasn't good enough to be even considered an army in the first place. "Instead of paying attention to such unimportant details, why don't we take a seat in the Throne Hall? I guess the wedding is about to take place."

General Hux saw Major Grimax in the distance, fixing his jacket as he headed towards the end of the isle. The place was all decorated with gold and red colors, from the flowers to the uniforms of the Royal Guards. There wasn't much of a commotions, as the guests all kept their voices down, until it was announced that the Queen was entering the Throne Hall, and everyone cut off their talking, paying attention to the event while standing still on their feet. The General's brow furrowed when he saw the woman, for some reason, she reminded him of Esme, yet it could have been just a trick of his mind.

The Queen smiled to the crowd and gave a short speech. "Dear family and friends, we are gathered here today to witness the union of two souls who have found each other in between the far ends of the galaxy." She spoke with a sense of high authority. "So, without further ado, let the ceremony begin."

Among the many heads present in the room, General Hux spotted another ginger head in the front row of seats, his father, and beside him Esme's father, an unusual thing to see. His train of thoughts was diverted the moment a piano begun playing, and everyone's heads moved to look at the bridesmaid walking down the isle. Armitage's heart skipped a beat, and he held onto his breath when he saw Esme walking down the isle in a wonderful ruby red dress, a shining diamond tiara on her head and wedding rings on a white cushion in her hands.

"She's truly beautiful," Mitaka mumbled in awe next to him.

Esme's pupils scanned the guests on both her sides as she walked with a regal strut, smiling softly at everyone, at least until those amber irises met some familiar blue ones. When the two of them looked at each other, time gave the impression to slow down, and what was just a brief gaze, last longer in their minds. But Esme didn't get distracted for too long and arrived at the end of the isle, stopping next to the Queen, then came the bride's turn to walk down the isle. Before Armitage knew it, the ceremony was done, Kellreek and Juliane had been pronounced husband and wife by the Queen.

 

Glass of champagne in hand, Armitage and Mitaka were caught up in a group of people talking about the current political crisis that had affected the New Republic, and they were discussing the possibility to attack them to weaken the Resistance's support. The General barely listened to the conversation as his eyes tirelessly searched the crowd to spot the woman he was looking for.

The reception was going rather well, and I would've enjoyed it if it weren't for the constant feeling of imminent danger that had settled in the pit of my stomach. Or maybe I was just a nervous mess for knowing that Armin was there too. I took in a few deep breaths trying to calm myself, since I knew that I couldn't hide in the hallways forever. When it came to fight the Resistance, there was no hesitation, but when it came to General Hux...

"Esme, what are you still doing here?" My mother appeared out of nowhere and made me gasp audibly in fright. "Everyone is wondering where the Princess is."

I rolled my eyes and shook my head at her words, I just wanted for this day to be over. "There's someone out there who I don't want to see." I confessed, not able to believe my straightforward self with her.

"Is it your fiancé?" She dared to ask, stepping closer to me and placed a comforting hand on my left shoulder. Her gesture made my lips part slightly, and I just gazed at her in silence before pursing them together and nodding my head.

For once, the conversation wasn't centered on us fighting. "Something happened, and- uh... I don't know. I just don't think I can forgive him." I mumbled as I lowered my gaze to my entwined hands.

"Men are pigs when it comes to women," Queen Faye spat out with a short laugh and my eyes shot up to look at her with arched brows.

"Oh, no, he didn't-" I stuttered when I realized that what I had said previously made her think that he had betrayed me. "Armin didn't have relations with another woman, he just didn't stand up for me when I needed him to!" I explained in a rush.

My mother laughed heartedly at how flustered I had become, like a teenage girl with her first crush. "Don't be silly, Esme. You're my daughter, you don't need a man to stand up for you when someone tries to bring you down," her words made a soft smile appear on my lips and my eyes lit up with happiness. So she knew how to be a good mother, after all. "After what I've seen today, people look at you with admiration and respect, not just because you're Princess Esme of Gracelea, but because you are Commander Roan. You made this old woman proud."

I bit my bottom lip and restrained myself from smiling from ear to ear. "You have no idea how many years I've waited for you to say that."

"Now, now, don't get all soft on me and let's go out there to meet this gentleman of yours." I made a big satisfied nod and felt a boost of confidence take me over.

My mother and I headed inside of the wedding reception hall, where soft music was playing live by an orchestra and greeted a few guests as we made our way among them. The newly wedded couple was dancing slowly with other people, getting to know each other for the first time, and by the looks of their pleased expressions, it seemed that everything was going well.

"There's your father," my mother nodded with her head and I followed her gaze, seeing that Brendol Hux was there too, Armitage and Mitaka right next to them. The Queen slipped her hand behind my back and almost dragged me to the group. "Gentlemen, having a good time?" She asked, lifting her nose as she waited for them to greet her with the deserved respect.

"Your ability to organize such a beautiful event is only surpassed by your beauty, my dear." My father told her cheekily in front of the other three guests, then brought a closed fist up to his chest and bowed, as the others did too. I just stood the like an idiot, unable to look at Armitage by how much my chest had started aching. I thought I could do it, but now... "My, I'd never thought I'd see the day that my daughter finally put on her tiara! Did you torture her, Faye?"

"Kaladen!" My mother gasped by such bluntness in my father's speech. "Don't embarrass her in front of the guests... Which brings me to ask, Commandant Hux, is this your son? The resemblance is uncanny."

The man's lips curved up and he made a small nod, acting extremely polite in the Queen's presence. "Yes, your highness."

"Armitage Hux," He finally spoke, and my eyes automatically looked for him. "General of the First Order's Stormtrooper's Army." I narrowed my eyes at how full of himself he must've felt.

"And our daughter's future husband," ex-Commandant Roan added, making the Queen gasp in delight as she brought a hand up to her chest for emphasis.

 _What?! Didn't he tell them that I returned the ring? The empty spot on my ring finger should've been enough to let everyone know about it._ I glanced over at Mitaka and his raised eyebrows and dumbfounded expression gave me the answer that I needed. "Excuse me, if you're done with the formalities, I would like to exchange a few words with you," I stepped forward ungracefully and grasped Armitage's glass of champagne, handing it to Mitaka before grabbing the General's hand and dragged him away from the group, all before my mother could say anything about the whole thing. As soon as we were far enough from them, I faced him with an angered expression. "Why didn't you tell them?!" I demanded to know.

Armitage let out a heavy sigh through his nostrils as he scanned our surroundings, replying in a low tone, "I didn't exactly have the time to cancel the engagement," he deadpanned, " _Officially_."

"Well, find the time to do it." I hissed under my breath. "I'm not marrying an asshole, and I'm glad that Juliane didn't have to do that either!"

Whatever control the General had previously on his facial expressions, it was gone the moment I insulted him. "You think you can treat me like this and get away with it?" He retorted. "You're just a spoiled Princess who only thinks about herself and plays a Commander for fun!"

My jaw dropped and I pulled back a little, sending daggers at him with my eyes. "How can you be so heartless?" My voice cracked and my eyes welled up with tears. My well built façade faded instantly when I saw the same look in his eyes when I had first met him. "I can't believe I fell in love with you-"

"What..?" Armitage mumbled under his breath, and a crease formed on his forehead in confusion. Did he hear it right or was it just his imagination? "Esme-" He tried to catch my hand with his, but I pulled away immediately, turning on my heels and pushed past the crowd to leave the party.

"Commander Roan?" The Queen's Head of Security's voice reached my ears when I was close to the exit, and I reluctantly stopped to listen to her. "I have to talk to you."

I only glanced at her from my peripheral vision and saw her blurry shape, caused by the tears in my eyes, and so didn't face her completely out of shame for my current state. "I'm sure it can wait, In-Mar."

"I'm afraid it can't," She retorted, insistent. Suddenly, an explosion went off and people started screaming, while the woman next to me took no notice, as if she'd expected it to happen. Time slowed down when I saw In-Mar's pleased expression, and she pulled out a small blaster from a secret pocket inside of the gown of her dress, pointing it at me. Another blast was heard and it brought me back to reality, but it was too late. The woman grabbed me by my left upper arm and shoved the tip of the blaster's barrel against my back, then forcefully pushed me out of the reception hall into the hallways of the shaking castle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, Merry Christmas and happy holidays! ♡


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am such a sucker for drama, I can't help it when I make my characters suffer. I mean, when everything turns out (mostly) fine in the end, it's such a relief, isn't it? Maybe I shouldn't torture them like that...
> 
> Anyway, I hope that the different POVs aren't confusion, I just realized how I switch from first POV to third without alerting people, and I was wondering if you'd like me to write it at the beginning of new paragraphs when I'm switching? Please, let me know what you think.

"How can you be so heartless?" Esme's voice cracked and her eyes welled up with tears as she was unable to look away from the General, neither blink. "I can't believe I fell in love with you-"

"What..?" Armitage mumbled under his breath, and a crease formed on his forehead in confusion. Did he hear it right or was it just his imagination? "Esme-" He tried to catch her hand, but she pulled away immediately, turning on her heels and pushed past the crowd to leave the party.

General Hux held in his breath for a long moment, unable to think straight, until pursed his lips together and decided to go after her, but a hand wrapped around his right upper arm and held him back firmly. When he turned his head to look at the other person, his eyes met his father's, then scowled.

"Armitage, we have to talk about that girl's awful behavior." Brendol said with a stern tone, tightening the grip on his son's arm. "I don’t care if she’s some kind of royalty, I won’t allow it!"

Armitage snatched his arm away and scrunched his nose in disapproval of his father's words, uncaring of the curious eyes that set on them. "Don’t you dare-" he couldn’t even finish what he was going to say as an explosion roared above their heads and the ceiling crumbled down.

The General reacted promptly and launched himself against his father, both of them avoiding to get hit by the heavy debris of the ceiling. Dust filled the space around them and screams of fear and pain followed after the explosion. Armitage looked at his father to make sure that he was okay and then pushed himself off the floor, but the floor shook again and there was another blast on the other side of the room.

Mitaka managed to reach them among the people trying to flee in panic, and helped his superior lift his father from the floor. "General Hux, we must go!" The lieutenant raised his voice above the deafening screams, "I've already alerted the Finalizer to send reinforcements!"

General Hux made a firm nod and they all headed immediately towards Queen Faye and ex-Commandant Roan, who was trying to calm her down, but she kept trying to wiggle herself free from the man's arms, yelling her daughter's name. "Where’s Esme?!" She growled panicked when her amber eyes set on the General.

He didn’t have an answer to her question, but the only way to calm her down was lying. "She's safe, you have to go too." At least, Armitage hoped that she was safe.

Seal Troopers, helped by the Royal Guards, evacuated the guests from the burning castle and led everyone outside in the gardens. There were injured everywhere, but no one knew how it could’ve happened with such a rigorous security system. But no one was safe yet, as X-Wings lowered from the clouds and flew towards the castle, opening heavy fire against the building.

 

The walls kept shaking around me as I was being pushed by In-Mar down the tunnels underneath the castle. My heart was drumming fast in my chest, all I could think of was the safety of the people at the wedding reception, the barrel of a blaster pointed at my head wasn’t bothering me even in the slightest.

"That’s it, we're far enough," the woman suddenly pushed me against a wall and stepped away from me, still holding up the blaster in my direction. "Take off your tracking device, now!" She yelled aggressively. "Quick, I have a no time to waste." I took in a deep breath as I gazed at her with a death glare and lifted my hands up in a defense motion, then slowly reached for the hem of my gown, lifting it up to reveal a thigh strap on my right leg, a slim card-sized device with a screen was attached to it. "Oh, I thought it would’ve been smaller."

I slipped the thigh strap down the leg and crushed it with the sole of my heeled shoe. "Happy now?" I hissed and apparently she didn’t like the snarky grin. In-Mar stepped forward and struck me on the cheek with the weapon, making me see the stars for quite a long moment. I felt the skin on that spot heat up and burn in pain, small droplets of blood tinted the once perfect foundation.

She grabbed me by the wrist and shoved me forward once again, forcing me to keep walking down the tunnel, and I knew that we would’ve been close to the exit soon.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked her, glancing behind me. I noticed how her finger moved slightly away from the trigger when she was busy talking, and I just had to find the right opportunity to snatch the weapon out of her hands. "What’s gonna happen once you hand me over to the Resistance?"

"We’ve been fighting you for years!" The woman chuckled bitterly, "You keep killing innocents and loved ones, taking them hostage and then you torture them. General Organa is too soft to give such orders, so I and a few others decided to take matters into our own hands."

"Yeah, I’ve heard about the 'no hostage policy'," I snickered bitterly as I kept looking forward, walking towards the exit that got nearer and nearer. "We’re two sides of the same coin," I told her trying to distract her, "we just want different things because of our political views."

"You have no idea what you’re talking about!" Whatever point I made, it made the woman burst out with rage.

In a swift motion, I turned around and wrapped my hand on the barrel of the weapon, pushing In-Mar's back against a wall with the other hand at the base of her neck. She groaned when I slammed her extended arm on the hard surface a few time, until she finally dropped the blaster onto the floor. The woman tried to kick me on the leg, but my gown was so stuffed she missed the exact spot, and I threw her off her feet. I knew it from the very first moment I saw her that she would’ve been no match against me, a handshake was enough to give her out.

"End of the line," I breathed out as I picked up the blaster and pointed it at her. In-Mar looked up from the floor with wide eyes and held onto her breath before tightly shutting her eyes, waiting. I furrowed my brow and straightened my back, watching her reactions. "Get up, I’m not gonna shoot you unless you make me."

The woman cracked one eye open slowly, then opened them both. Her frightened expression disappeared when her eyes traveled past me and her pouting lips curved up in a devilish smirk. Before I knew it, something hit me hard at the back of my head and I fell down on the floor, unconscious.

 

All the wedding guests and the newlyweds were safe not far from the almost destroyed castle in an underground shelter, deflecting shields were up and functioning properly, but they had no ground cannons that could fight back the Resistance X-Wings.

General Hux was standing beside the Queen in an emergency command center, eyes fixed on the screens before them that displayed the ferocious destruction happening outside.

"Can somebody tell us what is going on?" Brendol Hux hissed in annoyance, tirelessly pacing back and forth the room.

Mitaka typed fast on the keyboard as there weren’t other people working at the computers, trying to understand why all the primary defenses weren’t working. "Someone disabled the communications with the Royal Army," he explained from as much information as he managed to gather, "all weapons and space shuttles aren’t responding to the Queen's codes."

"What about those Seal Troopers?!" Brendol pointed dramatically at no specific direction. "Why can’t they do something?"

Kaladen Roan stepped forwards from a corner of the room and sighed heavily, "They were given orders to protect the civilians at all costs." His reply made Brendol scoff in disgust. "And I know what you’re thinking, Brendol, but those men only answer to the direct command of their leader, they won’t even budge if you tell them to do something else."

"You said that my Esme was safe," Queen Faye said in a low quivering voice, directed at General Hux, who appeared to be very calm on the outside with an expressionless face, but on the inside his mind was working fast, thinking about the whole situation in small details. "But my guards didn’t find her among the other people in the shelter. What if she was the female target mentioned in the Resistance's message?"

Armitage’s jaw clenched when he heard her words, and turned his head to face the woman. Now that she was so close to him, he could really see the resemblance: Esme was all her mother on the outside, same brown hair and amber eyes, but the General knew that she was just like her father on the inside, strong willed and tenacious. With that thought, he really didn’t want to worry about her safety, but something in the pit of his stomach just wasn’t feeling right.

Just when the General wanted to reassure the woman again, Mitaka received word that the Finalizer had entered Gracelea's space orbit and that they’ve released TIE Fighters, ready to counterattack the Resistance's X-Wings. "General Hux, they’re waiting for your orders." Mitaka said, glancing at his superior over his shoulder. "The line is yours, Sir." He informed him and Armitage stepped forwards, eyes fixed on the screens that displayed the Resistance.

"Command center, here's General Hux speaking," he said with a firm and loud voice, and all the heads in the room turned to face him, "Shoot down all the X-Wings, dont let them leave the planet."

 _"Copy that, General Hux,"_ a male voice replied from the computer, and TIE Fighters appeared on the screens too as they lowered from the sky, chasing the Resistance with open fire.

Armitage didn’t dare shift from his stiff posture, one hand into the other as his brows furrowed slowly. "Lieutenant, any luck with Commander Roan's tracker?"

Mitaka typed in the keyboard incessantly, feeling pressured as the tensions inside of the room was making him sweat like a nervous wreck. "Still no signal... Sir." He swallowed hard after replying. He did everything correctly, he could’ve found her with the number of the tracker that Commander Roan's protective detail gave him, but she disappeared completely from the grid.

General Hux let out a heavy sigh through his nostrils, facing the Queen with an apologetic expression. "The only way that someone could’ve locked you out of your own command could be your Head of Security," he said bluntly, "which means that you have been betrayed."

Queen Faye gasped audibly as she brought her hand up to her chest and just gazed at him. "You can’t possibly think that to be true!" She retorted with indignation. "In-Mar has worked for the crown for years, she has done an exceptional job-"

 _"Command center to General Hux,"_ the attention from the conversation was derailed quickly, and Armitage returned looking at the screen, a space shuttle appeared on with a crown drawn on both wings. _"TIE Fighters reported a shuttle attempting to leave the-"_

The communication was overridden and a female voice spoke up, her face appearing on another computer screen. _"Any attempt to stop us from leaving the planet will result in Commander Roan's death."_

"In-Mar?!" Queen Faye growled in disbelief and she walked past General Hux, showing her disgusted to the person who had just betrayed her trust. "How could you, you filthy-"

 _"As I said, any attempt to stop us…"_ In-Mar stopped talking and she turned around when another voice shouted behind her.

 _"Shoot us down!"_ Esme yelled at the top of her lungs, and Armitage's eyes widened in shock. _"Just- do it!"_

The connection was lost and the command center from the Finalizer was able to communicate again with them. _"General Hux, we’re waiting for orders."_

His breath was caught up in his lungs, he has never felt so scared for someone else's safety in his entire life, but the moment he heard Esme's voice, he realized how stupid he had been.

"You can’t do it," Queen Faye's sobbing voice brought him back to reality, and General Hux knew that he had to give an order before it was too late. "That’s my daughter!"

"Faye," Kaladen stepped closer to his wife and placed his hands on her shoulders, forcing her to look at him. "Everything will be alright…"

"Take down the shuttle. Aim for the wings," General Hux finally gave the order without any more trepidation, and the woman next to him broke down in a fit of sobs, while his father, who stood in the back of the room without opening his mouth, smirked devilishly at his son's words. "Have the Stormtroopers check for survivors when the shuttle crashes."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been listening to some great music while writing the story, some songs fit Esme and Armin perfectly. Should I make a playlist and share it with you guys? Would you be interested?
> 
>  
> 
> Thank you for taking your time to read the story and commenting, it really makess me happy <3


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning: casual swearing and some descriptions of blood, use of medications and idk?? Hope I didn’t forget to mention something

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovelies, I’m back to conclude this year with a nice chapter, filled with funny comebacks and subtle sexual tension. At least I hope it’ll make you laugh a bit at how cute these guys can be, because in the end grownups are still children inside.
> 
>  
> 
> Happy New Years beauties! ❤️

_Everything is burning. It’s hot. My head is spinning around fast and there’s a heavy weight crushing me against the floor... or is it the ceiling? I can’t move. My breaths are short and shallow. The more I breathe, the more I suffocate. The flames, they’re too close now._

… _I’m burning._

 

My eyes shot open and a sharp gasp made the person beside the bed flinch. "Shit-" A hoarse voice left my dry lips when I tried to move, but my whole body ached in pain, and the ceiling spun around fast before me. "Where am I?" I groaned while squinting my eyes and looked around the room.

"On the Finalizer, Esme," the familiar voice of my father reached my ears, "We're in the medical bay." He reached out to take my hand but I lifted it up from my side, moving it towards my face.

"What? No…" I closed my fingers around the oxygen mask and removed it in a swift motion, pushing myself up on my elbows. "Get me out of here," I breathed out, feeling panic rise in my chest, and right below it, on the left side, a terrible ache shot through me and I screamed out loud.

"Stop it, the sutures will tear up if you keep moving," my father stood up from the stool that he had been sitting on and pushed me down, back onto the mattress. Some medical equipment started beeping somewhere in the room and the door swung open, a medical droid flew in to respond to the emergency. "Everything’s okay," The man tried to stop the droid from approaching, but in vain.

The medical droid hovered next to the bed while I contorted in pain and clutched my left side with both arms protectively. "The system has alerted me that the patient is in pain."

All those sounds combined, the medical equipment beeping incessantly, the voices of my father and the droid arguing, they made me feel nauseous. Why was I there? No, I shook my head, the question that I needed to ask myself was hod did I get hurt? Then it all flooded back into my mind. In-Mar had kidnapped me with the help of other people, and then the TIE Fighters shot the spaceship down.

I pushed away the covers and slipped out of bed, my legs barely held me up as I looked around in shock, unable to think straight, and I shoved my father to the side, heading towards the door.

"Esme!" He shouted when he realized that I had been overcome by panic, but I was already out the door and the medical droid's head had been smashed against a wall in the process of escaping.

With bare feet on a freezing floor and not enough strength to run, I was breathing heavily as I walked fast down the hallway, one hand sliding against a wall on my left for support. My whole body was shaking and my vision kept swaying left and right like a boat in the ocean. The more I neared towards what I thought was the exit, the more I became weaker, each step felt like needles poking my muscles.

A sharp intake of breath and my left shoulder collided with the firm wall, a glance down and I saw red seeping through the fabric of my hospital gown. My vision blurred for a moment as I looked once more towards the door, which slid open at that precise time, and my eyes met _his_. "Armi-" I reached out with one hand. The last thing I saw before my legs gave out and my vision became black, were his arms wrapping around me to pick me up.

 

"Why does she have to be so stubborn even when she’s hurt?" General Hux muttered from a corner of the room, eyes fixed on the woman lying in the hospital bed. Another medical droid had just finished stitching her up, again, and left Kaladen Roan and the General alone. Armitage had been notified immediately by the first droid that Esme had woken up, and he left the bridge to see if she was okay… Clearly not.

"You gave the order," Kaladen reminded him, a note of disdain in his voice. He was back sitting beside his daughter on a small stool, dull eyes barely able to stay open from the sleepless nights he had spent waiting for her to wake up.

"She’s alive," General Hux retorted calmly, but he knew how mad Esme's parents were at him. He did almost kill her, even if the one to pull the trigger were his Stormtroopers.

"Barely." Ex-Commandant Roan growled softly, narrowing his eyes at the ginger young man. "What happened between you two, General Hux?" He asked after a short moment. "I may be old, but I’m certainly not stupid. Esme wasn’t wearing the ring at the wedding."

Armitage’s pupils met Roan’s, with an expressionless face he just made a small nod. "She took it off."

"Why?" The other insisted, anger filling his wrinkled gaze.

"Because we had an argument…" I groaned feeling dazed. Their eyes moved onto me instantly and Armitage stepped closer to the bed. "Could you two shut up now?" I blinked my eyes open a few times.

"How are you feeling? You gave this old man a big scare," my father tried to lighten up the mood.

I took in a deep breath and barely felt any pain now. "I panicked…" I deadpanned. My eyes moved from my father to the General. "Dad, could you give us a moment?"

He gasped softly, thinking about to retort, but then pursed his lips together and nodded, standing up from the stool. "Don’t stress her," he said to the ginger with a subtle threat and left the room.

"Congratulations," I chuckled and tapped lightly with my right hand on a spot next to me.

Armitage sat on the edge of the bed and took my hand in his, eyes fixed on mine and soft smile of his lips. "About what?"

"You managed to piss off my father," I sighed, partially distracted by his hands giving warmth to mine, "and that’s not an easy thing to do." I mumbled.

"Your parents have every right to hate me," Armitage said with an apologetic expression, "Esme, you almost died because of me."

"My guess is that I’m heavily sedated and that the reason why I’m letting you hold my hand is because I can’t even feel it." I couldn’t even remember the reason why I panicked, I just got out of bed and ran off half naked. "What happened to the wedding guests?"

"Unfortunately, there have been some losses due to bad injuries, but your friend, Juliane, she’s doing just fine." Silence fell between us, and we just kept on gazing into each other’s eyes for a long time, until Armitage spoke up. "I don’t know what would’ve happened if I lost you…" The sincerity in his voice made my insides clench, I didn’t want to hear what he had to say, I knew I wouldn’t believe his words. "I love you, and I’ve never loved anyone else besides my cat."

I gasped, unsure if what he had said was real or just my imagination. "Did you- did you just say-?" Another sharp gasp, and now I felt the ache from before, right under my left breast. "Of course you love your cat! Millicent doesn’t have the ability to speak to take down your inflated ego!"

One glance to the heart monitor and the General saw the number of bpm increase rapidly. "Esme, you need to calm down-"

"I need to calm down?!" I yelled, snatching my hand from his grip and furrowed my brows in anger. "You just told me you love me, and how am I supposed to believe you? After everything you’ve said-" My rant got cut off when suddenly Armitage stood up and placed his hands on my cheeks, capturing my lips with his. I held my breath as my eyes widened in disbelief, and the though to push him away crossed my mind, but I just couldn’t move. _I didn’t want to move._

When our lips parted, I let out a shaky breath. He opened his eyes and looked at me without saying anything, he just listened to the heart monitor, the beeping decreased and I was calmer. "I love you, Esme," he repeated with more decision, "and I know that I can’t apologize enough for the way I treated you, but I’ll hold onto our engagement ring if you ever decide to forgive me and give me a second chance."

Baffled by his confession, my jaw dropped and a long moment passed before I suddenly shook my head and removed his hands from my face. "Leave, now. I don’t care if there’s a hole in my abdomen, I will get off this fucking bed and I _will_ punch you."

Armitage pulled away from the bed and straightened his back, swallowing a hard lump down his throat. "Very well, get well soon." And with that being said, the ginger was out of the door in an instant.

 

It had been one week since I left the medical bay, and I just couldn’t take it easy and lie around in my guest bedroom. Two fractured ribs and an unflattering scar on my abdomen were my reward for surviving my kidnapping. I was back in that dark and gloomy office running my division from across the galaxy, all because General Hux, with the power that he held in his hands and title, prohibited me from leaving the Finalizer until I was healed completely.

"That jerk…" I cursed under my breath, eyes absentmindedly scanning the report on my datapad. One week there, and I started avoiding him like a deadly disease. I wasn’t mad at the fact that each time I moved, I ran out of breath from the pain in my body, I couldn’t even bring myself to imagine what would’ve happened if he didn’t give the order to shoot the spaceship down and In-Mar managed to take me to the Resistance.

My father left the Finalizer as soon as the med-droid told me that I could return to my work, only with the promise that I would take it easy and recover from the injury. I felt useless for some reason, thinking back and forth about what the Supreme Leader said about me.

The door to the office slid open and a ginger with an annoyed expression strutted in full speed, stopping in front of the desk and almost slammed an orange container on the flat surface. "I was told that you stopped taking your medications."

I scoffed and my jaw dropped at his anger. "It’s my body, if I want to suffer, I’ll suffer." I retorted, dropping the datapad on the desk. "Besides, I can’t concentrate when I take them, they cloud my mind."

Armitage grabbed the pills and rounded the desk, holding out the container. "Take them, now. It’s for your own good." He insisted and I pushed back the chair as I stood up, narrowing my eyes when I faced him.

"Make me," I said, and he sighed heavily through his nostrils, then opened the lid and dropped two painkillers in the palm of his hand. "I take back what I said," I took a step back, but my legs hit the chair and I had nowhere else to go.

"If you don’t take them now, I will put you back into your bed," Armitage took a step closer and I gasped at how demanding he was, " _myself_."

"You wouldn’t." I glared at him hoping he was joking, but a devilish smirk appeared briefly on his lips. "Again, I’m not taking them."

He held the pills out but I didn’t take them as I said, just to see if he would give up, but instead, the General placed them back into the container and slipped it in the pocket of his pants. "Is that so?" He scoffed.

"What are you doing?" I panicked when I saw his arms sliding one behind my back and the other behind my knees. Armitage swept me off my feet without too much effort and I begrudgingly wrapped my arms around his shoulders, fearing that he was going to drop me down, but he headed for the door, lips pursed without saying anything. "I can walk," I muttered.

"Yes, and you can talk too, unfortunately." Apparently, it didn’t bother him that people and Stormtroopers turned their heads and moved out of the way when they saw us walking down the hallways of the ship. My cheeks heated up in embarrassment as he was treating me like a disobedient child, carrying me around in front of everybody.

"Put me down." I whispered angrily, but he didn’t even look at me. "Dammit Armitage, I said put me down!"

"No." His grip on me tightened, and he entered the elevator when he reached the end of the hallway. To my great luck, there was the second person on this ship that I hated the most. "Ren." Armitage greeted the person clad in black who, strangely, was without his mask on.

"General," Kylo greeted back, then smugly eyed me. "Commander, how’s your injury?"

The nerve… "I’m still breathing, ain't I?" I flashed a fake smile and added, "Matt." General Hux arched one brow and glanced down at me with a questioning expression. "Oh, right," I shrugged nonchalant, "I never told you, but before we got engaged, I met this handsome devil exercising in the gym. He told me his name was Matt. Turns out it was Kylo Ren pretending to be someone else just to get laid," I nodded to Kylo with a note of disgust in my voice.

"So what?" The Dark Force user retorted as he looked back at me, while Armitage was trying really hard to stay calm and not lash out at his colleague. "It was a one night stand, I don’t know why you’re so bitter about it."

"That’s enough," General Hux finally spoke up, more than irritated. "You’re supposed to be grownups, but instead you’re acting like children."

"Is that why you’re holding her?" Kylo asked, knowing exactly what he was doing to him.

"Shut it!" Was the last thing Armitage said before the doors to the elevator finally opened and he sprinted out. "I can’t believe you had to bring it up and shove it in my face!" He hissed as soon as we were far away.

"Hey, we all make mistakes!" I retorted, "Kylo Ren was mine."

"Sure," Armin scoffed in disbelief, "but at least he knows how to please a woman."

I gasped audibly and started slapping the palm of my hand on his chest. "You idiot! I said that because I was angry, it wasn’t true." He abruptly stopped walking and looked at me with furrowed brows, unable to say anything on the matter. "Now, can you please put me down and give me the pills? It’s starting to hurt." My voice softened and I averted my gaze. 

"No," He sighed and shook his head, resuming his walk until he was in front of the door to his quarters. With his hands busy, he lightly kicked the door with one foot and it opened.

"Why’d you bring me here? I’m not spending my day in your bed." I protested when he walked across the living room and into the bedroom.

He gently lowered me on the bed and then took off my shoes. "Stop being so stubborn, Esme." The General pulled out the orange container from his pocket and handed it to me, then disappeared into the bathroom and soon came back with a glass filled with water. "Here, take your medications and get under the covers, I need to get back to work."

I bit my bottom lip as I stared at him expressionless and finally gave in; I was tired of being constantly angry and bitter, we both needed a break, so I opened the lid of the container and put two pills in my mouth, swallowing them down with some water. "Happy?"

"Very."


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How are you guys? I hope you had fun at NYE, my mood wasn't the greatest because I got ditched by the person who was supposed to be my best friend when her ex showed up, so instead of spending our first ever NYE together, she went with him. Writing makes me feel better, and I'm sorry if my mood reflected on this chapter and the characters, it didn't really turn out the way I wanted it...
> 
> Sorry for the rant, Let me know if you like the new chapter :) <3

General Hux hadn’t returned to his quarters for a few hours, he was sure that he was going to find an empty bed, well, Millicent didn’t count. For a week, he tried to give Esme some space, but the moment a med-droid told him that she had stopped taking her medications and going to the medical bay for periodical checkups, he became really upset. She could be so stubborn that it gave him terrible headaches whenever he tried to be polite and show her that he actually cared for her well being, to top it all off, Ren seemed to take pleasure by his colleague's frustrations.

But he was tired, and Armitage just wanted to get undressed and lay down in his bed, call it a day. Keeping his hopes low as he entered his quarters, he greeted Millicent with a scratch on her head when she purred happily as soon as he crossed the door, then headed towards the bedroom with a slow strut. The door slid open and his lips parted when he saw Esme sleeping profoundly under the covers. She was curled up on her right side, clutching the covers with her hands next to her mouth. The night lamp on her side was off, but the one on the opposite side was still on, and the General guessed that she had left it like that for when he came back.

With quiet footsteps and a content smile on his worn out face, Armitage took off his uniform and didn’t even bother to fold it neatly before discarding it in the wardrobe, then quickly slipped on a pair of sweatpants and got under the covers. As his back tingled with relaxation, he let out a sigh when he thought back on the first time that he had shared a bed with Esme: right after the dinner with her father, Esme got drunk and later fell in the pool when he had showed her the engagement ring, Armitage jumped in after her to take her out and carried her to her bedroom.

He took off both their clothes and got into bed with her; at first he thought it’d be a bad idea, lying naked in a woman’s bed who hated him, but it all turned out better than he could ever imagine. When she stopped him from leaving her, he boldly grasped the chance and kissed her. The emotions she made him feel that day… He wished to relive them again.

Esme shifted under the covers and Armitage glanced at her back, unsure if she was waking up, when all of a sudden she gasped and shot up on the mattress, one hand resting at the base of her neck and one cupped the injury under her shirt. "The smoke-" She gasped for air, and Armitage sat up too in panic.

"Esme, talk to me," he placed one hand on her back and the other under her chin, turning her head so that she could face him.

"I couldn’t breathe-" She replied, voice chocked by her heavy intake of air, "There- there was too much smoke," it came out as a whisper.

"It was just a bad dream, you’re safe now," he tried to comfort her, but she kept shaking her head in contradiction.

"No- Armin, every time I close my eyes, I’m back on that spaceship," her words made chills run down his spine, and for the first time he realized what kind of trauma Esme went through. "Every night I see myself burning and I can’t breath." She was covered in cold sweat, and her body quivered in fright.

As he rubbed the palm of his hand soothingly on her back and she had calmed down after many deep breaths, he decided to ask her a question, something that came to his mind after he had stayed silent to think about it. "Is that why you’ve stopped taking the painkillers?" If Armitage’s intuition was correct, then Esme didn’t stop taking the pills because they made her unfocused.

She averted his gaze and looked down at her hands in her lap, shutting her eyes closed in embarrassment. "I stopped taking them because they make me want to fall asleep, and if I sleep, I’m back there. It’s better to endure the pain," she alluded to the injury on her abdomen.

"No, it’s not," Armin retorted and made her face him again, then rested his forehead on hers. "You’re the most courageous woman I know, and you will get through anything that comes your way."

Esme pressed her lips together as she gazed into his pupils, and her eyes welled up with tears. A sob escaped her throat and she pulled away from him, leaving him with a puzzled expression when she started laughing softly. "I’m sorry," she apologized with a wave of her hand, "I know you mean well, but I have a hard time acknowledging my feelings because I’m not sure I ever had them before, so excuse me if I’m not capable of dealing with them the way you expect me to… That’s why I act like a bitch 99% of the time." She confessed, and it felt as if a heavy weight had been lifted off from both their chests.

Armitage chuckled softly and smirked in anticipation. "Does that mean that I’m forgiven?"

"Nope," she shook her head and started unbuttoning her sweaty shirt, "it’s gonna take a lot more than just telling me that you love me." With his eyes unable to move from her hands, she slipped the shirt down her arms, revealing a bare chest and underneath it a clean gauze that covered her wound, then discarded the piece of clothing on the floor. "Stop staring at my breasts like you’ve never seen them before!" She said as she laid back down on her right side and pulled the sheets to covered herself.

With her back facing him, Armitage shook his head and then laid down too, sighing softly before he closed his eyes. He didn’t know if he could fall asleep with his heart drumming in his chest. 'Weird' wasn’t exactly a word he often used, well he rarely used it in any context, but this felt like one of those weird moment that kept on happening since Esme became part of his life.

 

Everything in my mind was peaceful for the first time in a while. As I was beginning to wake up, I inhaled a deep breath and turned on my back, stretching out my arms above my head. As I lowered my left arm back onto the mattress, I felt an empty spot beside me, but it was still warm. Cracking one eye open, I saw Armitage's bare back across the room, muscles popping out as he raised his arms above his head and pulled a plain t-shirt over his head.

"Like what you’re seeing?" Armin asked when he turned from the wardrobe to face me, and in the process picked out a white shirt to put on.

"Are you talking to me or the cat?" I mumbled, sitting up and holding the sheets to keep covered my bare chest. Millicent was licking her fur at the bottom of my feet, then stopped what she was doing as she raised her head and looked at me.

The General ignored my question and finished buttoning up his shirt before he wore his uniform jacket and a tight belt around it. "I need to get on the bridge to finish some work-"

"You’re always working," I retorted with raised brows, eyes barely able to stay open as I had just woken up from too many hours of sleep.

"Are you complaining?" Armitage asked with a serious expression. "This battleship isn’t running itself."

"Right…" I mumbled while pretending as if I didn’t care. "As my mother would say, I refuse to have this negativity within my eyesight. Remove yourself at once," I spoke with a bit of an accent, trying to act like the Queen of Gracelea when she was highly annoyed by the older maids.

"Commander, you can’t just sit there all day," smart move, I thought when he used my title.

"You underestimate my ability to idle," I pretended to yawn, but Armitage wasn’t impressed by my acting skills. "If I recall correctly, you’re the one who brought me here."

"Yes, because you refused to take your medications." The General was done getting ready as soon as he had brushed back his sleek ginger hair, and then grabbed some other clothes from the wardrobe, placing it on the bed. "Get dressed, you’re coming with me."

I furrowed my brows when I scooted a bit closer to the edge of the bed, where Millicent was minding her own business, and took a good look of the black clothes. "Oh, I thought you threw them in the trash compactor!" I said way too enthusiastic when I saw that Armitage had kept my things. He looked st me with an annoyed expression and crossed his arms over his chest, waiting. "Alright! I’m getting dressed!" I hissed while pushing away the bed sheets. "So bossy."

 

Awkward was the word bouncing back and forth the walls of my mind, from the silent breakfast in the living room to the trip to my office, only after the General made sure that I took my painkillers. The pain was subtler now, and after a long morning in my office reading reports from my Seal Troopers' missions, I headed to the medical bay when I received a message from one of the med-droids commissioned to visit me daily. The pills were working, my wound was feeling way better than expected after the second surgery and the med-droid even removed the sutures.

"Avoid exerting yourself, Commander," the droid said as I put my clothes back on, "broken ribs take four to six weeks to heal completely."

"What?" I faced the droid with a baffled expression. I’ve been far too long on the Finalizer and I had to get back on Dreena. "I can’t afford to spend six weeks here. Tell General Hux that I’m fine and I can go home."

"I can’t do that," the reply made my fists clench in anger, "because you will be my patient until you’re completely healed."

"Well, we'll see about that, won’t we?" I scoffed as I headed for the door, and in the process pushed away the face of the flying droid with a hand. I left the medical bay quickly and went to the command bridge, catching people’s attention when I entered the room and strutted towards their superior. "General, a word?"

The moment his blue irises met my amber ones he let out a sigh and turned to face me. "Of course, Commander, we can talk on the way to the hangar." As soon as we were off the command center, Armitage passively addressed my apparent frustration. "I assume I deserve the death glare, but can you tell me why you want to kill me this time?"

"Because I have important duties to attend to, some of them I cannot deal with behind a computer screen, and your highly intelligent yet idiotic robot told me that I can’t leave the ship," I blurted out in one long breath, "And, that’s your fault."

"Did MD-5 remove the sutures?" He asked without looking at me, just stayed focused on the turns to take to get to the landing platform in the main hangar, while I followed next to him.

"Yes," I nodded, only to growl softly and slap him with the back of my hand on the arm. "That’s not the point! Are you even listening to me?" His strut slowed down and his lips parted slightly when he saw something in the distance, I followed his gaze and saw a ship land in the hangar. The ramp lowered to the floor and a tall woman marched out. "Whats the word for that infestation of tiny creatures over there?" I asked sarcastic when I saw little kids march out of the newly arrived spaceship.

"Those are children, Esme," Armin pointed out, giving me a light pat on the shoulder, "The Academy is having a field trip today."

Completely derailed from my initial argument, I became intrigued to know more about it, since my father never sent me to study and be trained at the First Order Academy. We approached the group of children and the woman, who with a stern look on her face made the kids immediately salute the man in command. "Salute General Hux," and the kids, who should’ve been around ten or twelve, raised their small hands up to their hands, some shaking more than others.

"Rest, cadets," Armitage said out loud and they all stomped their feet, bringing theirs hand behind their back and stood straight like poles. "Only the best, I assume." He said as his eyes scanned the heads, counting them, ten children, five male and five female. His pupils met the green irises of the tall woman and she smiled at him with too much friendliness, which made my jaw clench as I stood there like an idiot, being ignored.

"Yes, Sir," the blonde nodded her head proudly, and General Hux finally cracked a smile, as if greeting an old friend after many years of being apart.

I lightly cleared my throat and Armin glanced at me from his peripheral vision with furrowed brow, as if just remembering that I was still there. "Commander Roan, let me introduce you to Sylvia Carraway, teacher to these brilliant students. Sylvia," I noticed how he used her first name instead of her last one, "this is Esme Faye Roan, Commander of the Seal Troopers."

She gasped with a wide smile when she finally acknowledged my presence, and held out her hand for me to shake. "It’s an honor to meet you, Commander Roan, the cadets have heard a lot about you."

I shook back her hand a bit too tightly and she flinched at the contact, making me see right through her; clearly she was acting way too polite in front of the General, she couldn’t care less about me. "My pleasure, it’s good to know that the kids have a role model to look up to." Sylvia retracted her hand and tried to hide the fact that she was rubbing her delicate skin as she slightly furrowed her brows, displaying a puzzled look but still smiling at me. When I figured that she didn’t get my joke, I cleared her confusion, "I was talking about him."

General Hux noticed the stiffness in my body language and placed the palm of his left hand behind my back, which didn’t go unnoticed to Sylvia. "Right," she chuckled, "Armitage and I went to the Academy together, but a lot of things have changed since then."

Again with the first name basis. My insides started boiling as all kinds of scenarios played in my mind; the friendly talk pointed to something more than just old fellow cadets.

"Well, then, shall we proceed with the tour?" General Hux asked the teacher and she nodded turning around to talk to the kids. "Do you want to come?"

"From the way I saw you looking at her, I guess it’s best if I disappear while you two stroll down memory lane together," I huffed bitterly.

"Esme, are you jealous?" He asked me after making sure that Sylvia was still talking to the kids. "There’s no reason for you to be, you barely know her."

I averted my eyes and looked anywhere else but his eyes, responding, "You have no idea what goes through a woman’s mind. Anyway, why do I even care? It’s not like we’re still together…" Without second thought, I turned on my heels and left the General standing there with a bunch of kids and a hot blonde.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I'll pause writing for a couple of days and focus on studying to get my driver-learner's permit, thank you for your understanding and patience.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Took a break from studying and wrote this chapter, hopefully it’ll make butterflies flutter in your bellies!! ❤️

The hologram of my mother flickered on my work desk as I was slouched back in my chair, one hand covering my eyes as I was feeling tired from the walking around. I needed time to heal, but it seemed not an easy option to choose when every little thing was something more to stress about.

_"I’m glad you’re out of danger,"_ My mother said with a sigh of relief, fingers entwined in front of her as she spoke, even through hologram she looked regal and composed. _"Now, when can you come to visit me?"_

"I don’t know, mom…" My voice came out low and barely audible; my left side had started to hurt after I left Armitage and didn’t stop yet, the painkillers's effects had yet to kick in. "How’s the rebuild going?" I made an effort to raise my voice, biting down on my lip when the intake of air made me see the stars.

_"Well, the White Castle was just a building, so I moved to the city instead of living outside of it,"_ she chuckled, _"I mean, I don’t have to get up two hours earlier in the morning, I can just walk down a corridor and enter my office."_

I gazed expressionless at my mother’s face for a long moment, before scooting a bit closer to the desk and leaned y elbows on the edge. "Mother, I know you probably don’t want to talk about it, but why didn’t dad send me to the Academy?"

Her brows furrowed and she tilted her head at the question, but then she shrugged softly. _"Because it was against our deal."_ Her answer made me curious and I asked her what kind of deal that was. _"When he came to me to tell me that you wanted to be trained, I made him swear that he wouldn’t send you there."_

"Okay, but why?" It didn’t really make any sense, I wasn’t even aware that she had a say in my training. "All the best First Order officials come from the Academy... Armitage grew up there."

_"I’ve heard of their teaching methods…"_ The Queen said with a hint of disgust, _"The pressure they put on those kids, the psychological conditioning and the harsh environment... I didn’t want my daughter to go through that."_ Her words made chills run down my spine, and I was taken aback for a moment, not saying anything about it. _"Anyway, I’ve never liked Commandant Hux, and it was one more reason why I told Kaladen to keep you away from that place."_

"Brendol?" Now I was confused.

_"Yes, didn’t you know? He’s the headmaster of the new Academy."_ She told me, and my jaw almost dropped.

I made a small nod and tried to lower the tension with a small smile. "Yeah, sure, I just have many things on my mind right now." I glanced at the datapad resting on the desk next to the hologram and picked it up. "I have to finish my work. Thanks for the talk, it’s been years since we had one without insulting each other."

My mother giggled and gave me a bright smile. _"Of course, darling. Call me anytime you want."_ And with that, the transmission ended, leaving me with many questions and doubts.

 

After forwarding to Donys the last document that needed to be approved, I left my office and headed to the training grounds to meet Captain Phasma, that is if she was still there overseeing the training of her Troopers.

I did find her there, but I also found the General and Sylvia there, standing next to each other in the gym. Two of the ten children were engaged in a fierce battle, long sticks that paralleled their height were used like weapons to take down the opponent. There were a few officials observing the scene, and I silently made my way towards Phasma.

"Commander Roan, good timing," she said with a smile on her lips. Her helmet was off and she was holding it casually between her left arm and her side.

"What’s happening? Aren’t they, like, ten or something?" I asked her bewildered, voice low. My eyes moved from the two boys fighting onto the General's face, attentive with extreme focus in his eyes, analyzing their techniques.

"Thirteen," she told me, "General Hux wanted to see what progress they made since their last visit. One of them will get a position of internship on the Finalizer, you know, work on the field," Phasma explained to me as her eyes were focused on the intense battle. "It’s part of their learning process- Oh, there goes his chance." She furrowed her brow in sympathy and shook her blonde head.

"That's... strange." I commented under my breath. 

One of the boys returned in the circle and Sylvia called out the next cadet. A brunette stepped forward and with insecure steps entered the battleground, she clenched her fists around the stick and didn’t get a chance to take in a breath as the boy leaped forward and attacked her from all directions. She kept backing up as she was trying to defend herself until a few of her fellow cadets moved aside and she ended up out of the circle. 

A heavy sigh left Sylvia's lips and she begun yelling at the girl, "That was pathetic! Get back in line with the others."

My brows knitted together in anger as I watched the poor girl being treated like a piece of garbage. Armitage didn’t say anything, the girl barely got a chance to show what she was capable of. "Wait," I stepped forward and headed towards the girl.

"With all due respect, Commander Roan, what do you think you’re doing?" Sylvia scoffed, glancing at Armitage next to her.

"Helping," I deadpanned and crouched down at the girl’s eye level. "I’m Esme. What’s your name, sweetie?"

"Is she serious?!" Sylvia crossed her arms and rolled her eyes.

"Have patience, Carraway," General Hux said, eyes fixed on Commander Roan as she spoke with the girl.

"Marlia," the brunette replied with a slight quiver in her voice, but tried really hard to look brave while keeping her back as stiff as she could.

"Relax, Marlia," I told her with a kind smile while placing the palms of my hands on her shoulders, sliding them down her arms to relax her tense muscles, "Your parry is good, but you need to keep those feet planted onto the floor if you want to be able to counterattack. Don’t stand with your feet too far apart from each other and don’t keep your back so stiff. Find an opening and strike back, understood?" Marlia nodded, feeling more decisive than before and I stood up straight, giving her a light push on the back and she stepped inside of the circle once more. "Shall we give her another chance, General Hux?" I asked, sounding professional.

"One more time," he replied with a single nod, and his blue eyes were back of the girl.

I headed back to stand next to Phasma, and saw a content smirk on her features. "Do you think she can make it?"

I shrugged and let out a soft sigh through my nostrils. "I was like her once, she deserves to try again, even if it means failing."

Again, the boy leaped forward with a confident grin and swung the stick towards Marlia's face. My heart skipped a beat when I saw her hesitate, but she quickly recovered and stopped her opponent's attack. She twirled on her feet and swung the stick at the boys feet. He jumped up and tried to hit her once more, but she saw right through his intentions and managed to slide her weapon up against his, parting one of his hands from the stick.

The sides of my lips curved up: that was her opening. Marlia dropped on her knees and swung her weapons behind the boy's legs, knocking him off of his feet. The match was over. The brunette gasped in disbelief at her success and turned her head to look at me.

"What?" Sylvia murmured next to Armitage. "Next!"

"I’ve seen enough," General Hux told her, which made her face contort with anger. "Take the children to the canteen for a break."

"You can’t be serious," she protested with a scoff. He didn’t even bother replying to her as he turned around, heading towards me, hands clasped behind to look professional. 

"Here he comes," Phasma elbowed me lightly on the arm, "I’ll see you tomorrow if you’re free."

"I’ll let you know," I told her, and she left after nodding to her General. "Liked what you saw?"

"Quite," he replied, glancing over his shoulder at the little girl, Marlia, then looked back at me. "I was thinking that we could head over to my office, to talk." His expression was too serious and made my insides clench with anticipation, I had no clue what he wanted to talk about.

I nodded after a moment of hesitation and silently followed him to his office. As soon as we entered the room, Armitage walked behind his desk and sat down. He opened one of the drawers and picked up a datapad, scrolling through some documents. I approached the desk with small footsteps and just stood there waiting for him to bring up the conversation.

Raising his eyes up from the screen, his brows knitted together. "Why are you so nervous?" He asked me after a long moment.

"I, uh-" I stuttered, not really knowing what to say, "-You said you wanted to talk. What is it?"

"Right, it’s about a job," he replied, returning to look at the screen, then tapped onto something and handed me the device, "An important shipment-" He didn’t get to finish his line as the door to his office slid open without notice and Sylvia walked in with an enraged strut.

My reflexes weren’t the fastest, since the painkillers lowered my attention, and the moment the blonde stepped menacing in front of me, I ended up dropping the datapad when she grabbed me by the collar of my shirt and pushed me against the desk. "Those are my students, how dare you disrespect me like that in front of everyone?!" She growled at me.

Hitting my left side made me shriek in pain and I quickly bit my tongue to avoid whimpering. With one hand cupping my wound and the other supporting my weight against the desk, I turned my head to look at the woman.

Sylvia raised her hand once against but General Hux grabbed her wrist before she could touch me with a finger and yanked her back. "Your behavior is unacceptable and without reason." Rage filled his features and she just stared at him taken aback, his body was shielding mine from her. "You’re in no position to act like this in front of your superiors. How dare you touch her?"

"Since when do you care about anyone else but yourself, Armitage?" I clearly managed to piss her off by helping out one of her students. She must’ve taken it as an insult to her ability to teach. "Commander Roan?!" She said out loud with an hysterical laughing. "You never attended the Academy, you’re not worthy of your rank."

"It’s General Hux," he corrected her, fists clenched to his sides, "I could get you arrested, but I won’t." The ginger took in a deep breath when he saw the blonde take a step back, lowering her head in shame. "Miss Carraway, you better take your leave, as of tomorrow you will be replaced by another one of your colleagues, and that is an order. Understood?"

She reluctantly nodded. "Yes, General."

"Now apologize to Commander Roan for your behavior." He stepped aside, eyes carefully observing how the woman lifted her chin and held out her hand towards me.

"I am deeply sorry for how I have behaved." Sylvia said.

I pushed myself away from the desk and stood straight, glancing down at her right hand and then at her green irises. "No, you’re not," was the last thing she heard before my knuckles collided with her jaw, and she fell to the floor unconscious. "Oh, sweet creator, I need to sit down-" Instinctively, I reached out and grabbed Armin by the sleeve, the lost my balance, but he managed to wrap his arms around my waist and he held me up.

"Esme, what’s wrong?" Armitage helped me sit down in his chair and I just shook my head as I held my breath, resisting the urge to groan. It sucked being injured, it made me feel so weak, but the moment I punched Sylvia in the face that pain was released, even for just a brief moment. The General pressed a button that was under the flat surface of the desk and shortly after two Stormtroopers entered the office. "Take Miss Carraway to the medical bay."

"Yes, Sir." The Stormtroopers replied and lifted Sylvia off the floor with theirs hands under her arms, carrying her away.

"You defended me," I breathed out as soon as the Troopers were gone. 

Armitage turned to look at me with a confused expression. "She attacked you out of nowhere," he pointed out while crouching down at my eye level, one hand reaching for my wound and he delicately placed his palm there, "you’re hurt, I had to do something."

My lips parted as I wanted to say something but no words came out, just a smile spread fast while I slowly shook my head in disbelief. Suddenly, I cupped his cheeks and leaned in, capturing his lips with mine. Time slowed down as we just shared a long and chaste kiss, holding our breaths in even after we parted. My amber eyes were locked onto his blue ones, unable to move as all kinds of overwhelming emotions run through my veins, while the tip of my thumb traced Armitage’s bottom lip. "I love you…" I told him with my voice barely above a whisper.

Armin took in a deep breath and turned his right palm upward. "Take my hand."

"Why?" I gasped. I just told him I loved him, I was expecting him to say it back.

"I’m trying to ask you to marry me, so take my damn hand!" Taken aback by his sudden outburst, I retracted my hands from his face and placed the left one in his. Bending one of his knees, Armitage cleared his throat as he reached inside the pocket of his trousers and pulled out the golden ring with the ruby gemstone on top. "Third time's the charm, so, Esme Faye Roan, Princess of Gracelea and Commander of the Seal Troopers, will you do me the honor and become my wife?"

I bit my bottom lip to refrain from giggling at how serious and committed he sounded. I straightened my back and readjusted my butt on the chair. "Armitage Hux, General of the First Order's Stormtrooper's Army, I will become your wife… For real, this time." I added, and he chuckled with a light shake of his head. 

Armitage slipped the ring back on its rightful place and cupped my cheeks with his warm hands, kissing me passionately. "I love you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now now, what do you think of the proposal? They’re just so cute I can even
> 
>  
> 
> How would you like your proposal to be? If it has already happened, how did it go?


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Smut smut smut  
> And minor character death

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Helloooo friends I’m back with great news and a longer chapter to celebrate!!  
> I passed the exam and got my learners permit Wooohooo *insert confetti* watch out Dameron, there’s a new menace around (that’d totally make sense if x-wings existed lol)
> 
> Sometimes when I can’t decide who to kill between two characters, I ask Siri to flip the coin and she decides for me... lol
> 
>  
> 
> Anyway, tell me what you think about the chapter, I struggled a bit with what to write, but I think the ending came out better than what I had in mind at first. 
> 
> Is the story getting too long? Annoying? I’m sorry, I just worry a lot about these things, there’s so much stuff I want to add to this story I hope I can do it, also reaching the actual “The Force Awakens” and maybe “The Last Jedi”. I’m trying to write longer chapters :3

That night Armitage and I were curled up in bed, his chest was rising and falling slowly as he was sound asleep for quite some time now. I could barely close my dry eyes, too many things were running through my head, and as I laid there on my side, I wondered if it was the right thing to do, marry him. I loved him deeply, I didn’t know how I came to love him in such a short time, but a few months were enough to create a powerful bond between us.

I sighed softly and rolled on my back, staring at the ceiling in complete darkness. Besides the confusion derived from my love life, I needed to do something about my division, apparently, if I didn’t come up with a solution to my _waste_ of resources, power and influence, who knew what Supreme Leader Snoke would’ve decided to do with me. For the first time, I feared that if I lost my position, I would’ve lost everything else around me too, I’d be a disgrace to my family, including Armitage. Snoke said that I should be focused on conquering the galaxy, and the New Republic was an enormous obstacle. I thought about their military outposts, politicians, their support from the Resistance. 

Armitage shifted in his sleep and threw one arm around my abdomen, fingertips softly closing around my flesh, then his muscles relaxed again. I placed my left hand on top of his arm and exhaled deep in thought, starting to drift into slumber.

 

_Everything was burning. As I laid on the ground with a piece of metal piercing into my abdomen, the flames reached my feet and the hem of the gown caught on fire. "I have to-" whimpers left my quivering body, "-get out…" Loud bangs came from the walls and I couldn’t understand what was happening, why I couldn’t move. One of the walls suddenly came down and all the smoke inside of the spaceship found a new opening to clear out. I made an effort to turn my head in that direction and saw Stormtroopers walking towards me. "We have a survivor, General Hux," one of them said as he crouched down and took my hand._

My lungs took in a deep breath and released it with the loudest scream I could make. Eventually, I stopped screaming and sat up on the soft mattress, tapping my sweaty hands on the other side of the bed, but it was cold and empty. "Armin?" I reached out with my hand to switch on the lamp of the nightstand, to light away the darkness that cloaked the bedroom. But the lamp didn’t shine an innocuous light, instead, flames arose from the floor and my back hit the headboard behind me in shock. My heart drummed in my chest and I shut my eyes tightly, covering them with my hands. "It’s just a dream, wake up!"

Another sharp intake of air and my eyes opened wide again. "Esme?" Armitage called out for me in a husky voice, and I turned my head on the pillow to face him. The lights were on and he was right beside me, one hand resting on my cheek for comfort.

"Did I wake you up?" I asked sounding out of breath, as if I had just ran for miles and miles. "I’m sorry…"

"Don’t worry," he scooted closer and placed his forehead against mine, "Did you have another nightmare? Was it the same?"

I gazed into his ocean blue eyes and just focused on my breathing, as my heart was still racing in my chest. "Yes, but… slightly different." Armitage waited patiently for me to continue when I stayed with my lips parted, words hanging from the tip of my tongue, but I didn’t want to talk. So close that I could feel the warmth radiating from his body, I leaned in and kissed him. I moved even closer under the sheets and pressed my body to his, deepening the kiss with each breath that we managed to take.

A guttural moan reached my ears when I tentatively bit his bottom lip. "Esme," Armitage whispered between kisses, "we can’t do it while you’re still healing, I’m afraid I’ll hurt you."

After being lost in his sweet touch, fear came back into the pit of my stomach, but it wasn’t the same as the one from the constant nightmares, this time I was afraid that if I didn’t grasp the chance at hand to be with him, who knew when that would happen again. I almost died on that spaceship, and I wanted to savor the moment until I could. "I’ll tell you if it hurts..." I murmured, and sat up to pull over my head the sweatshirt, exposing my skin to the cool air of the room.

Armitage didn’t waste time and took off all of his clothes, then helped me get rid of my panties and settled between my thighs. His lips were back on mine while he kept his full weight off of me with one elbow pressing on the mattress, right next to my head. The sensation of his growing erection against my wetness made my insides swirl with sweet anticipation. When his other hand barely grazed the sensitive skin around my fresh scar, my body instinctively flinched away and Armitage stopped immediately what he was doing.

"It’s okay," I smiled to reassure him when I saw hesitation in his pupils, and slipped my hand between our hips, gently touching his full grown member and guided him to my entrance.

He trusted my words and slipped himself inside me torturously slow, until he was fully sheathed in. My lungs filled with air and I held it in for a short moment, waiting for him to start moving. With more confidence, Armin bucked his hips, breathing heavily with his lips grazing the skin on my neck.

My moans increased every time he hit that spot inside of me that ignited fire to my core, and with that sensation my side started to ache, but I didn’t want him to stop. "Oh- please, slower…"

"Esme," he groaned against my neck. I felt his right hand grip my left thigh and his fingers tightened around the flesh, while his thrusts slowed down and Armitage looked me in the eyes. "Don’t be stubborn and tell me if it’s hurting."

"Just shut up and make love to me." I slipped my fingers through his ginger locks and gently made him lean down to kiss me again. Armitage didn’t protest, I could feel that he was close every time his lower back stiffened when he was deep inside of me. One last push and my walls tightened around him, a high pitched moan erupted from the back of my throat and he came too, his fingers clutching at the skin of my thigh with desperate need.

The door to the bedroom suddenly slid open and Millicent run inside, jumping on the bed and started meowing, pushing with her head where ours were. "What the-" giggles left my lips when Armitage put the palm of his left hand on the cat's eyes and started pushing her away.

"Millicent, not now," he groaned when she insisted, then his eyes set on me. "What are you laughing about?" I shook my head and pulled him down for another short kiss before he got off of me.

"I’m sorry," I kept giggling, holding my side as each shake gave me a dull ache, "imagine in five years, we’re having sex while our child is in the other room, when suddenly he comes running in." As Armitage laid next to me and a small crease formed on his forehead, I stopped giggling and looked at him in panic. "What’s wrong? Was it what I said?"

"I, uh…" Armin trailed off, avoiding my gaze for a moment and wrapped his fingers around the cat, placing her on the floor before he returned to look at me. "I never thought about having children."

His words hit me right in the guts, and I sat up, licking my dry lips before speaking. "But, do you want one?" I didn’t know how I would’ve reacted if he replied with a no. The serious expression on his face wasn’t comforting either.

"Where do you think we'll find the time to raise a child?" That wasn’t the answer that I wanted to hear.

I averted his gaze and looked down at my hands in my lap, then pushed away the covers and slipped my feet on the cold floor. "Let’s just forget about it..." I muttered with disappointment and disappeared inside of the bathroom. As I opened the water and got under the hot steam in the shower, I bit the insides of my cheeks to try and hold back the tears.

"Esme?" Armitage had followed me and was standing right outside, eyes looking at my bare back since I mentally refused to turn around. I couldn’t even talk because of the hard lump that formed in my throat. "Esme, talk to me." He stepped inside of the shower, fingers lightly grazing the back of my hands and planted a kiss in my right shoulder.

"It’s nothing," My voice lowered dangerously as I replied without emotion, "I’m okay." Armin wrapped his arms around me and I slowly turned to face him, but instead of meeting his pupils, I nuzzled my face in the crook of his neck hoping that the water would mask my tears.

 

General Hux couldn’t stop thinking about Esme’s disappointed expression and how much she got upset by his answer. The thought of having children of his own never crossed his mind, just like the fact that he would get married to someone he had actually fallen in love with. With the kind of life that they were living, danger lurked in every corner... No, having a child would only create a weakness, something that many of their enemies would use against the General and the Commander.

"General Hux," a woman from one of the computers called for him and he looked away from the galaxy on the other side of the window, posture uptight with his hands laced behind his back. "A Seal Trooper shuttle asked for permission to land in the docking bay."

"Seal-?" He mumbled softly with a crease forming on his forehead. "Permission granted." As far as he knew, Esme wasn’t expecting anyone from her base, unless she called them herself. "Alert me if there’s an emergency," Armitage said before he headed towards the exit with a fast pace. There was an unsettling feeling in the pit of his stomach since he left Esme this morning, she didn’t speak to him, and it made him fear that she was about to leave without telling him.

The moment he arrived in the docking bay and saw her from the distance, he knew that that was just the case. "Commander Roan," he called for her. She turned to face him as Armitage was approaching her and he saw the confusion on her features, she appeared to be worried for some reason. "Tell me you weren’t about to leave without tell me." He lowered his voice as soon as he was close to her.

"I wasn’t," she deadpanned with annoyance. Her amber eyes returned to look at the shuttle from her base and the ramp opened after a few seconds. Esme’s father stepped out of the spaceship with some Seal Trooper, carrying a white box decorated with a golden royal crest on the lid. "No-" Esme breathed out and took a step back as her father approached. Armitage felt Esme grasp the sleeve of his coat while her eyes widened in disbelief. "I spoke to her yesterday," she said with a slight quiver in her voice, "that can’t be what I think it is."

Kaladen stopped in front of her with grief on his features and handed the box to one Seal Trooper. The man noticed eyes setting on them and didn’t answer his daughter's doubt immediately. "We should talk in private." His eyes glanced at General Hux. "With all due respect, this is a family matter."

General Hux had no clue what could’ve been in the box, but Esme’s sudden stiffness and need to hold onto his sleeve, Armitage gathered that something bad must’ve happened. Reluctantly, he made a small nod, placing his right hand on top of Esme’s to give her some comfort before gently taking it off. "Of course."

"There’s no need to talk about anything," Esme replied coldly. "I can’t accept _that_ responsibility." One more glance at the white box and Armitage understood immediately what was going on. "I can’t-" she abruptly turned around and stormed off, leaving General Hux with ex-Commandant Roan.

Kaladen sighed and shook his head. "She might be and astounding leader, but when it comes to her feelings, Esme can’t think straight."

"Do you mind if we discuss about it?" Armitage asked the man and the other one just glared at him before pursing his lips together and replied with a single nod. Kaladen Roan signaled to the Seal Troopers to return to the spaceship with a gesture of his hand and followed General Hux to his office. Once there, the two sat down and Armitage immediately asked the pressing question that kept bothering him. "The box with the royal crest, does it contain the Queen's crown?"

Kaladen narrowed his eyes at the General, but then confirmed the question. "Yes. You have good deduction skills." The man relaxed his back in the chair and took in a deep breath. "Faye and Esme didn’t have a good relationship, and my wife didn’t want me to tell our daughter that she was terribly ill. The accident during the wedding took a great toll on her health and she didn’t make it through." He explained.

"I’m sorry for your loss, Sir." Armitage could only try and imagine what his fiancée was going through.

Kaladen entwined his fingers and his eyes just gazed at the ground for a while, thinking. "I saw that Esme is wearing the engagement ring again..." There was a clear reluctance in his face to converse with General Hux, but if there was a chance someone could change Esme’s mind, maybe that was him. "Although I do not approve of this union anymore, I humbly ask you to talk with Esme about the coronation. She worked hard to get where she is now because she wanted to earn her rank through sweat."

General Hux thought about the man’s words, and he could understand why he never came to know that Esme was a princess in the first place; that little girl he met when they were younger was out of place because she came from a different world, a world of privilege. Armitage wasn’t royalty, but he understood the emotions that Esme felt, she wanted to be respected and admired because of her own effort, not because she was born with a title.

"I don’t think I can do much, but I’ll talk to her," Armitage finally said, standing up from behind his desk, "The decision is hers."

Kaladen stood up too when the General did and circled his desk, stopping in front of the elder man. "Son, if Esme doesn’t accept the crown, Gracelea will be without a ruler and the New Republic will take advantage of the vacancy to take over the planet. Faye was my wife, but I’m no King, neither you will be if my daughter marries you." He held out his hand and Armitage shook it. "Goodbye, General Hux."

 

After ex-Commandant Roan left the battleship, Armitage returned to his quarters, hopeful he would found Esme there, since she had not returned to work in her office. The moment he crossed the door, there she was, sitting in the living room on the couch with a distant expression on her face. Millicent was curled up in her lap, purring on her crossed legs. She lifted her furry head when she saw her owner enter the room and meowed.

Esme glanced down at the cat and absentmindedly scratched Millicent under her chin. Armitage stepped closer with careful steps, eyes fixed on her expression, she didn’t even appear to have cried about her mother’s death. "How are you holding up?" He asked her softly, sitting down next to her and he rested the palm of his hand on her bent knee.

Esme just stayed silent, breathing slowly while still looking at the cat. "I don’t think I can do it…" She murmured after a while. "It’s too much responsibility, to lead the Seal Troopers and rule a kingdom."

"You underestimate your skills, Commander," Armitage told her bluntly and she finally moved her amber eyes to face those blue ones. "Imagine the possibilities of such an influent position, Esme," Armitage had a point. All this time he only thought about his ruthless climb to the top, he had plans to take over the whole galaxy, his lust for power was unmeasurable. Armitage only cared about his power, but when Esme became part of his life, his plans gained a deeper meaning and he wanted her to see and understand his point of view. If it hadn’t been for the talk with Kaladen, he wouldn’t have realized it either. "Today you’re Commander Roan, tomorrow you will be Queen Esme and one day you might even take over the Senate."

Esme’s lips parted for a moment as she gazed at him with both disbelief and astonishment, then scoffed. "Armin, you can’t be serious…" Esme untangled her legs before picking up Millicent in her hands and let her on the floor, standing up from the couch.

"I am," Armitage insisted, standing up too and he gently grasped her hand, making her face him again. "You were born a leader, no throne or crown is needed for me to know that, but I need you to believe in yourself too." He was really making an effort to be sincere and believable.

"I guess I need you," she said, as if giving into his words. "I get the crown and the Senate, someday, and you get to be the Supreme Leader." There was a spark in her eyes, something that told him she was actually considering his words.

"What do you mean?" He couldn’t help but ask when he was taken aback by her statement.

Her lips cracked up in a devilish grin, her hands moved towards his hips and slipped behind Armitage’s back, where Esme clasped her hands together pulling his body against hers. "It will take some time, but we’ll have to get rid of Snoke and Kylo… If there needs to be a Supreme Leader, that’s you."

A tingling sensation built up in the General’s chest and his expression mimicked her amused one. "It sounds sweet, rolling off of your lips like that."

"It is sweet, my love, but when we get there, we will arrive violently." Esme pushed herself up on her toes and captured Armitage’s lips with hers, kissing him passionately.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you beauties for your love and support, it really brings me joy to read your comments! I can’t believe we reached almost 2100 hits, I’m truly grateful ❤️ 
> 
> Thank you —Val ❤️❤️❤️


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning: funeral, grief (I hope it doesn’t make you too sad)
> 
>  
> 
> Did you see my new icon? I played with photoshop for the first time in a long while and maniped a pic to have General Hux and Commander Roan (I used a picture of Adelaide Kane from Reign as my muse for Esme)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiii beauties! I’m back with a longer chapter than usual, and I hope you like the slow build.
> 
> By the way, have you seen this?? [The Tale of Thomas Burberry](https://youtu.be/6D5IZtDCS5c) Domhnall Gleeson is so talented I wish this was an actual movie
> 
>  
> 
> I’m happy to share with you guys that I’ve had my first driving lesson on Monday! I was so anxious I kept on praying to not crash the car, but everything went mostly fine, I just have to get used to it :S 
> 
> Fun fact: Esme doesn’t know how to pilot a spaceship (too bad, cause she’s gonna need it later... lol)

I was used to wearing black, from my underwear to my uniforms, but the dress that I had on for the funeral of Queen Faye just didn’t feel right. She used to be a cheerful woman, she never wore black unless it was necessary for a day of grief, her clothes were always colorful and decorated. I didn’t think this day would’ve come so soon, I had no idea that my mother was ill, and Armitage explained to me what my father told him.

The more I stared at that black gown, the more I felt my stomach twist and turn inside of me. The skin on my chest and arms was covered with laced fabric, from the neck to the wrists, and the dress flowed down the body smooth and tight, all the way to the floor. I made one last attempt to twist my hair up in a simple updo but it just didn’t want to stay put together, so I let the brown locks fall on the back and sighed in frustration. I gave up trying to fix my hair and sat on the bed, covering my eyes with the palms of my hands and leaned against my knees.

"Esme?" Armitage called for my attention and I gasped in fright, as I barely heard him step into the bedroom. He had a black box in his hands, and placed it on the bed next to me.

"Shouldn’t you be working?" I asked him, sounding tired, but still glad that he came to see me before I left for Gracelea.

"I couldn’t let you go without this," he replied, opening the box and I saw the tiara that my mother gave me on the day of Juliane's wedding. "A Stormtrooper picked it up the day of the crash, it was slightly bent so I had it fixed for you." Armitage picked up the tiara and delicately placed it on my head, then let his fingers slip down the length of my brown locks and twirled them between his fingers.

I smiled softly and gently grasped one of his hands, looking up at him from my spot on the bed. "I am grateful to have such a loving future husband in my life."

Armitage bent down on one knee and brought my hand to his lips, kissing the knuckles and showed me a naughty smirk. "Let’s not spread the word, otherwise people might think that I've become too soft to lead an army."

"Never," I giggled and leaned towards him to place a chaste kiss on his lips. "I know it might be too soon, but we should choose a date to, you know..." I trailed off, averting my eyes and looked down at our entwined hands, the ruby gemstone reflected the light of the room as I shifted my hand in his.

"Whenever you’ll feel ready to do it." Armitage told me with the same warm smile from before.

I nodded my head slowly as I gazed into his eyes, thoughtful. "After the coronation. Just us and an officiant... The less people know about it, the less our family becomes a hot target to the Resistance.” Armitage nodded his head in agreement and kissed me one last time before we both stood up on our feet, as I was ready to go.

 

The flight from the Finalizer to Gracelea was a nightmare, my mind kept replaying the images of the few moments before the crash. My heart drummed in my chest and ears, and I could barely focus on my breaths, sat in the far back of the spaceship, secluded from the eyes of my Seal Troopers.

The door to the small compartment opened and Donys walked in, panicking when he saw me in such a suffering state. "Commander Roan, do you need medical attention?" He feared it was due to my injury.

I shook my head as I swallowed a hard lump and looked up at him, tightening the grip of my fingers on the soft fabric of the sofa, on my sides. "Just tell me that we’re landing soon."

Donys held back his will to protest, but he knew me too well, I would’ve dismissed his worries once more. "The pilot is landing just about now." I licked my dry lips and nodded, exhaling a shaky breath before I held out my hand and Donys helped me up on my feet.

"Thank you for being here, Donys," I told him sincerely as I looked into his eyes. "There’s no one I trust more than you."

Donys found himself smiling shyly and bowed slightly with his right hand above his chest. "You can always count on my respect and loyalty, Commander."

As soon as the spaceship landed, I made my way out with Donys and a few Seal Troopers. Dark clouds were gathering in the sky, shielding the earth from the sun rays, and the weather couldn’t have been more representative of my feelings like then. I gave a quick look around my surroundings and recognized the tall trees that surrounded the family graveyard, not far from the White Castle. My pupils landed on a man who stood out among many Royal Guards patrolling the area before the gates to the entrance of the graveyard, his uniform was more decorated and, instead of the usual red and gold, it was white and gold.

The tall brunet raised his right hand when he saw me and all the men that accompanied him stomped their feet. "Salute her highness, Princess Esme," he shouted and the guardsmen planted their feet on the ground, standing as straight and rigid as they possibly could, then brought their right hands up to their foreheads and waited in silence.

Donys glanced at me as I headed towards them, attentive eyes moving from one soldier to the other, and then set on the one that I guessed was their leader. "At ease, soldiers." The guardsmen lowered their hands down to their sides and slightly parted their feet. "Introduce yourself," I ordered the brunet, who must’ve been in his mid thirties.

"I’m Viijin Krane, First Knight of the Royal Army," The man introduced himself with a bow, "I’m here to escort you, your highness."

With a soft sigh through my nostrils and my hands clasped together in front of me, I made a small nod of acknowledgement. There would’ve been no particular reason for that man to escort me, as I had my protective detail with me, but then I thought that it must’ve been standard protocol. "Lead the way," I told him and he dismissed his men, who went back to their patrolling and he held out his arm for me. I tilted my head at the gesture, and hesitantly accepted his kindness, entering side by side with him in the graveyard. "I’ve never been to a funeral before," I confessed to the man whom I barely knew, "how do I pay tribute towards my mother?"

"Her majesty’s wish was having you here, Princess" Krane replied. The way he spoke and carried himself was truly regal, even for someone who only had a military rank to accompany his name. I couldn’t help but turn my head and look at his face, much closer now, and gaze into the green of his orbs. If I weren’t already engaged and grieving my mother’s death, inappropriate thoughts would have been running through my mind at that time. "The ceremony is private and only family members are allowed to participate. I beg your pardon, for I am not able to offer you a better explanation, your highness. I can only offer you my sincere condolences."

"Thank you, Mr. Krane." The path to the funeral was filled with all kinds of colorful flowers, and the graveyard looked more like a garden, except for the many mausoleums placed sparsely around. There were more guards patrolling the area, until we reached a grey building with my mother’s name off top of the doorframe.

My father was waiting for me right in front of the door, and Krane made a small nod to the man, before gently letting go of my hand from his forearm. He bowed to me once again and I entered the mausoleum with my father. "You’re doing the right thing," he said with a quiver in his voice, "Faye would be proud of you." Right there he was just a man and I was just a daughter, the rest didn’t matter.

"She told me that she was proud already," I replied in a low voice, approaching a black wooden casket and placed my hand on the flat surface. The tips of my fingers grazed the engraved crown and all of a sudden it became real. My eyes started burning with tears. "I’m sorry," I whispered, knowing I could not be heard now, "I could’ve been better… I will be better." I took in a deep breath and closed my eyes, shaking my head softly. "Did she suffer?" I asked my father a bit louder.

"No, she passed away in her sleep." My father just stood there behind me for a long time as I cried in silence.

There were many things that I would’ve liked to ask her, even if I had never admitted it before, I nurtured a deep respect for her. Maybe I didn’t want to follow in her path at first, but now I knew that it was necessary, otherwise all of her hard work would’ve gone to waste.

One more deep breath and I exhaled it with a sense of relief, drying the tears on my cheeks with my fingers. "Farewell, mother."

 

General Hux had just closed the last deal of the day; those materials he needed for the construction of Starkiller Base cost a high sum of credits, and it gave him a headache to keep thinking about it. But if he wanted it to fasten the construction's schedule, he needed to make some sacrifices. Armitage put the majority of his hopes on that weapon, the rest relied on the strength and efficiency of his Stormtroopers.

Supreme Leader Snoke expected many things from General Hux, and most of the time the General himself wasn’t sure if he’d be able to achieve them all, but he’d rather push himself to the extreme than feel lower to Kylo Ren. Let’s be honest, those two men were avid competitors when it came to get the positive attention Snoke.

With a tired sigh, Armitage removed his coat and threw it lazily on the couch in the living room. Millicent was nowhere to be seen and the General's private space was far too silent, almost to the point of being deafening. Armitage got used to having Esme around that it gave him a sense of loneliness knowing that she wasn’t on the battleship, even his mood suffered from her absence and he could easily be annoyed by his subordinates when they didn’t do their work properly.

Suddenly, the small device that resembled a datapad pinged in one pocket of his coat. It was past his work time, and he groaned in frustration when the ping became insistent, so he gave in and picked out the device, sliding his thumb over the screen and a hologram of Supreme Leader Snoke’s head appeared on top, expression angrier than ever. "Supreme Leader, to what do I owe-" He didn’t even finish his line as Snoke cut him off immediately.

 _"General, why does it come to my knowledge just now that Commander Roan is next in line to the throne of Gracelea?"_ That question left the General quite perplexed, as he didn’t know why Snoke cared so much.

"Supreme Leader, I don’t see how that falls within your interest," The ginger dared to say, to which Snoke’s features wrinkled even more as he scowled as an hologram.

 _"It fell within my interest when I came to know that the New Republic wants to take over the planet of one of our allies,"_ he deadpanned. 

General Hux furrowed his brow a bit when he listened to the humanoid's words, should’ve known that Snoke only cared about someone when he could profit from them. It was just like Esme told him the previous day, when she decided that she was going to take the crown: _"He sees you as an object, Armin. He’s using you to get what he wants, and when he gets it, he’ll ditch you like you’ve never existed."_ The General didn’t agree entirely to her statement then, but he was slowly coming to understand it.

 _"A reliable source has notified me that two representatives of the Galactic Senate will depart from Hosnian Prime to meet with Gracelea's Prime Minister. They plan to stop the coronation and abolish the monarchy, in favor of a democratic government."_ If this piece of news was true, then the New Republic was a serious threat to Esme’s ascension and future. _"The consequences of Commander Roan's failed ascension will be a weakening of the First Order's military forces and political relations."_

"The Resistance must be behind it," General Hux stated with conviction, "They have already tried once to take hostage the Commander."

 _"I expect you to handle this situation with absolute discretion, General, don’t let the Republic and the Resistance know that the First Order is involved."_ And with that being said, the Supreme Leader gave General Hux one last warning. _"Once Commander Roan becomes Queen, make sure that she knows where her loyalty lies."_

"It will be done," General Hux made a firm nod and the transmission ended. When Kaladen Roan told Armitage that the Republic was meddling with Gracelea's business, he didn't think it'd be this serious. If he was going to help Esme, it would've been because he loved her and not because she was a means for an end to Snoke's plans, but still, he would play along.

A long moment went by as Armitage stood still with the holopad in his hand, carefully thinking about his next strategy, and then sent out a message to Mitaka, asking for the command center to locate a spaceship that was going to depart from Hosnian Prime with the destination set to Gracelea. This was going to give him time to warn the Commander himself.

 

I took my time to roam the graveyard and just have a look at the past. It might’ve sounded like a bad idea, but the more names I read on the mausoleums, the more I realized the enormity of what was my dynasty. Gracelea had been ruled only by women throughout the decades, and it made me wonder what would happen if I gave birth to a male child.

My train of thoughts got interrupted when Donys came running towards me with Krane, a distressed expression on my lieutenant's features. "Commander, I have an important message for you."

His worry made me tense up immediately and open my ears in alert. "From whom? What is it about?" I glanced at Krane and he understood that I needed some privacy, so he stepped a few feet away from us.

Donys lowered his voice as he informed me that General Hux had heard about some political matters regarding my planet. "The Great Council is expecting two Senators from Hosnian Prime, they want to stop you from taking the crown with the help of the Republic."

My jaw dropped in visible shock as I took in this new information. I finally released a breath that I’ve been holding back and furrowed my brow in anger. "General Hux told you?" I asked again, making sure that I’ve heard it correctly the first time.

"He contacted me through holopad as he feared that someone might’ve intercepted the message," Donys assured me, and then I knew what to do.

"Mr. Krane," I raised my voice and the brunet walked back towards us, "I am about to question your loyalty towards the crown, and I need you to be sincere with me, because right now I need someone I can trust."

The man bowed down on one knee and brought his right hand up to rest the palm on his chest, above his heart. "I only answer to the direct orders of the Queen," he replied while looking at the ground.

"Look at me," I ordered him with a firm voice and stepped in front of him, "Can I trust you or not?" I asked, insistent to get an answer.

As Krane looked up at me, he replied without hesitation. "As the new Queen of Gracelea, I am bound to serve you and protect you for the rest of my life. You can trust me, and I will prove it to you everyday from now on, your majesty."

I wasn’t that naive, trust was the easiest thing to betray, I would’ve never exchanged my Seal Troopers for the Royal Army, but this was a time of great need. If it had not been for Armitage, maybe I would’ve come to know it too late. "Stand up," I told him and he did immediately, "Are you aware that the Great Council has gathered to stop me from ascending to the throne?"

The man's brows furrowed in confusion and he shook his head. "No, your majesty, but if this is true, then it’s high treason and I must act immediately. What do you want me to do?"

"Gather men, we’re going to the Great Council," I started walking back towards the gates of the entrance to the graveyard, Donys followed on my right and Krane on my left, "Donys, alert the Troopers, if the senators arrive before the Royal Army arrests the ministers, you have my permission to stop them by force. This is my planet, my house and my legacy, I will not repeat the same mistake like I did with In-Mar."

"Commander, the General told me that he was going to take care of it, _discreetly_ ," Donys whispered. My heart beat fast in my chest, because of what I was about to do and also because of the assurance that Armitage had my back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think is going to happen? Esme always refused to take part of her mother’s life, but now she is willing to fight for it. Armitage having her back gives me sweet chills... But, what will Armin get from the union with Esme? Her father clearly told him that he would never be king. Is it just love? So many questions


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Can you believe this chapter is over 4000 words? Wow, I’m amazed by how much I’ve written, because I usually write around 2500 per chapter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I first started this fanfic, I didn’t really know where I was going. But today, I have reached the wanted goal. It started as a way to get out of an unwanted situation, but now it’s real.
> 
>  
> 
> Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. and Mrs. Hux have both said yes. Let’s celebrate. ♡♡♡

The thick tension on the command bridge could be cut with a lightsaber. General Hux’s subordinates managed to trace the Senators' spaceship that was heading towards Gracelea. No one knew what was going on exactly, but it must’ve been crucial to General Hux, since he was back on command soon after he had retired for the day.

"General, we have visual confirmation from one of our cargo spaceships," lieutenant Mitaka stated, glancing up from the computer screen to his superior. "How shall we proceed?"

"Start jamming their communication system." The Supreme Leader was clear, do not let anyone know that the First Order was involved. "Highjack the spaceship and make it disappear from the radars," the General said before taking in a deep breath, slightly adjusting his posture with his hands laced behind his back. "Once they have them, tell the personnel of the cargo to crash the Senators' spaceship, preferably on a deserted planet on the way to Gracelea."

"Yes, Sir." There was no doubt that General Hux was an unscrupulous strategist, his ability to think anything through in detail was one of his greatest skills. Detached and ruthless, that was one of the people who everybody knew and feared the most in the First Order and outside of it, even Kylo Ren nurtured respect for his fellow colleague, at some level, and the feeling was mutual from the General. Maybe that was the only thing that they had in common, if they wanted something, they would get it by any means.

"The rest depends on you," Armitage murmured under his breath as he thought about his fiancée.

 

Viijin Krane took me to the city in a small transport airship, about ten other guards accompanied us. The ship came to a stop in the middle of the street of the Queen's Capitol, right in front of the Great Council's Palace of Justice, their base of operations. As far as I understood from my early princess studies, the Council wasn’t allowed to meet without the Queen’s consent, when she wasn’t present two of her personal advisors had to assist the meeting.

Wide rock steps rose from the street to the entrance of the building, the heavy wooden and metal door was just behind a few tall columns that decorated the front of the palace. One glance both to my right and to my left, I saw other transport pods arriving after us, making civilians stop and observe with curiosity what was happening, until their curious pupils spotted a shiny tiara, and they recognized me as the Princess, someone even shouted it, drawing more attention.

"Your majesty, may I suggest we head inside?" Krane said when he saw more people slowly making their way towards the palace, and the Royal Army immediately created a barrier along the perimeter of the area, to separate the crowd from me. "It’s not safe for you."

Silently, I just gazed at him before I had an idea, and my eyes widened with hope. "Not yet," I told him, walking up a few steps so everyone could see me when I faced the crowd. "Citizens of Gracelea," I raised my voice to gain full attention of the people, and their voices became just low murmurs, "Queen Faye has passed away, and as her rightful heir, I am to take her place to represent, serve and protect the people of Gracelea." Those three words were my hope to turn the crowd to my side. I knew I had full powers to do whatever I wanted to do, but I needed to know if the people supported me and my cause. "The Great Council has reunited inside of the Palace of Justice today," I motioned with my right arm behind me, index finger stretched out, "on the day that I have just buried my mother, and they’re plotting to take over the throne and give power to outsiders, banishing me from my own planet and people." 

"Treason!" The anger in those words of accusation made the crowd erupt, expressions of confusion and disbelief settled on their faces. "Arrest the traitors!" Somebody shouted, gaining approval from more voices, "Long live Queen Esme," someone else yelled, "Long live Queen Esme!" The crowd chanted with fists in the air.

A satisfied smirk started tugging at the corners of my lips, but I held it back as I looked towards Krane and gave him a firm nod, then he recalled the guards and we headed up the steps, inside of the Palace.

The news spread all over the galaxy in the next few hours like wildfire: Queen Esme of Gracelea had just arrested three hundred people for betraying the Royal Family, and the speech that she gave reached the New Republic too, creating commotion among the senators. A reconnaissance spacecraft was sent to look for the missing Senators, they were so sure that the new Queen had managed to arrest the Council through her connections with the First Order, that they were ready to stick their hands in a blazing furnace just to prove the point. 

But when the reconnaissance spacecraft tracked down the missing Senators, with heavy hearts they had to discard their first theory and issue a press release to inform both mankind and alienkind, that two of their representatives lost their lives due to an unfortunate crash related to a malfunction in the engine of the spaceship, on their way to a diplomatic mission. They didn’t even mention what kind of diplomatic mission, neither where the crash took place, as to avoid putting out in the public eye that they were behind the attempted act of treason on Gracelea.

 

There was such a deafening silence in what used to be my mother’s office, inside of the Palace of Justice. A few weeks ago, she was sat in that chair, talking to me. This office wasn’t like the one she had at home, filled with books and personal decorations, from expensive collector objects to hand crafted artworks. This office was cold and austere, temporary.

I sat behind the black wooden desk, releasing a soft sigh, running my fingers along the edge of the flat surface, until my eyes dropped on the under-desk drawer. I tried pulling the handle towards me, but it was locked. With furrowed brow, I examined the front of the drawer, looking for a lock, but there was nothing like what I had in mind and maybe that was just a fake drawer, for decoration, it it didn’t make much sense... Suddenly, I jolted in the seat when a blue hologram was shot up from the center of the desk, and the light became red for a moment as it scanned my face features, then turned briefly to green letters over a blue background. 

_Facial recognition complete._   
_Access granted._   
_Welcome, Queen Esme._

"What the-?" Before I could finish whispering, a clicking sound reached my ears and the drawer budged slightly, and I was able to open it. Strangely excited, I finally slid the drawer fully open. "Now, why don’t I have this kind of technology in my office on Dreena?"

It made me wonder how my mother managed to get my face to open the drawer, and maybe my father had helped her. With hesitant hands and curious pupils, I reached inside of the drawer and picked up a white envelope. The lid was sealed with gold wax and a crown crest decorated its center. On the back, in my mother’s handwriting, was my name. My lips parted in anticipation as I broke the seal and pulled out a letter from the envelope.

 

_Dear Esme,_   
_If you are reading this letter, it means that I’ve passed away and that all of my duties and responsibilities are yours now. Part of me wanted to tell you sooner that I was ill, but the rest of me opted to stay silent. But do not fret to take on after me, for I gave birth to an unprecedented leader and I know that you will be capable of making something beautiful out of Gracelea._   
_A crown on the head doesn’t make anyone a Queen or a King, but the approval and support of the people does. These are delicate times for politics, and I believe that you understand my concern regarding the never ending war between the Resistance and the First Order, the New Republic is merely a mediator that prevents far worse consequences if the two clashed in an open fire._   
_We never told you, but your father and I got married just for the sake of diplomacy, because my mother before me, as the Queen, made that decision herself. Despite the fact that it was supposed to benefit Gracelea, I believe that it benefited me more, for I fell in love with a wonderful man -and it took me years to understand it- then you were born._   
_This letter has already stretched out far enough, but I’ll get straight to the point; expect the unexpected. Be the Queen that Gracelea needs. And about General Hux, he saved your life and my understanding is that you love him too, that is why my final wish is for you to be happy. First Order, Resistance, New Republic. None of these matter when it comes to love. So let the decision be yours, what’s best for you and nobody else. Should you decide to carry on with the wedding, I made Kaladen promise me that he would be the one to unite you and Armitage in marriage._

_I love you and best of luck,_   
_—Mom_

 

Queen Faye left me a letter of encouragement, and the sides of my lips curved up in a genuine and grateful smile. I spent years resenting my lineage, but now I was proud of where I came from. And the last part of her letter… My insides swirled with happiness.

I wondered if the desk had more functions than just granting access to a drawer, so I hovered my hand above the small circle at the center of the desk and a hologram of a screen and a keyboard appeared in front of me. There was someone I wanted to talk to, so I set up a few things and contacted the command center of the Finalizer, and waited patiently for a reply.

The holo-screen beeped after a couple of minutes and a message appeared, _Connecting_ , then the transmission started. The vivid blue image of Armitage appeared, and my smile widened. "Have I woken you up?" I asked with a low chuckle when I saw his disheveled bed-hair, sleepy eyes and shirtless torso.

 _"Maybe,"_ came the reply from a low husky voice. _"Judging by your content expression, I gather that things are going well."_

I leaned on the desk with my left elbow and placed my chin on the back of my hand, averting my gaze to look down at my right hand, index finger drawing shapeless patters on the flat surface in front of me. "Well, yes... And I believe that I have to thank you for your well-timed help." My amber eyes darted up to the hologram of Armitage and saw him relaxing his shoulders against the headboard of the bed.

 _"Do I get to choose, my Queen?"_ Armitage asked, a naughty smirk took over his lips.

I mimicked his relaxed posture and leaned against the back rest of the chair. I brushed away the long brown locks from my right shoulder, and run the tip of my middle finger along the my lace-covered collarbone. "Well, General, dream of the way that I can reward you, and I’ll make your dream come true," I told him in a sultry tone. But, of course, when you’re in charge of everything, you can’t get enough alone time. A few knocks on the door made my eyes narrow in annoyance and my lips ended up pouting.

 _"Duty calls for the new Queen,"_ Armitage said with a bit of humor when the knocking reached him too, but I could hear the tiredness of his tone. _"I’ll hold onto your words, Commander, until the next time we see each other."_

"I count on that…" I replied with one last smile before the transmission ended, "Good night, Armitage." At that point the knocking became insisted and I let out a soft growl. "Come in."

The door opened and Krane walked in with Donys and my father. "Your majesty, we have a situation going on."

His words made me tilt my head in alert, I quickly closed the under-desk drawer and slipped my mother’s letter inside of its folder before leaving it on top of the desk and stood up from my seat. "What is it?" I asked as I circled the desk and stopped in front of them.

"Your decision to arrest the Council made the families of the ministers protest with indignation," my father explained to me, "And since they’re nobles too, they feel as if you’ve sullied their honor. They demand justice."

"Huh," I scoffed with bitterness. "Well, if they believe that, then let’s make it worse." As soon as I said that, my father closed his eyes and slightly turned his chin to the floor, shaking his head in disapproval. "Since the Great Council is now vacant, let there be elections. For generations the ministers have obtained their positions by inheritance, and I believe it’s time to chance that. Let the people choose their representatives. As for the traitors, I’ll hear them in trial. Then I’ll decide who should be punished and who should be given the benefit of the doubt." I stopped pacing and faced Krane. "You’re dismissed for now, I’ll let you know my final decision."

Krane bowed to me and then left the office, leaving me alone with my father and Donys. "I know that look on your face, you’re scheming something."

"You are correct, father," I nodded with a dubious grin. "Elections are part of the New Republic's system. I believe that this is a good way to turn the senators in my favor, they’ll be more eager to open diplomatic relations with an advanced planet."

"Giving an opportunity to the people of Gracelea to decide about their planet is a bold move for a monarch, my dear," my father retorted, slowly starting to see my point. "There are still fractions of civilians who strongly oppose the dominance of the First Order."

For a moment I stopped to think on what Armitage and I had talked about a few days ago; he agreed that to gain a foothold in the New Republic, I must be open to new changes but hold my ground when necessary. Basically, manipulate my way to the top. "I am aware of what is going on in the galaxy, furthermore, I’ve decided to move the base of operations from Dreena on Gracelea. I can’t work on both positions separately and traveling from one place to the other will be a hassle, at least until things here settle down." 

Donys, who had been silent the whole time, finally got his chance to talk, since it concerned him too. "I understand your frustration, Commander, but do you really want to move everything here?"

I shook my head. "No, of course not, lieutenant. Dreena is in a strategic position and a perfect outpost for the First Order. You’ll keep doing what you have done until now. Should anyone have something to say about it back on SEALT Base, they’ll answer directly to me." 

With a grateful expression and a small smile tugging at the young man’s lips, he gave me a small nod. "Thank you, Commander. I won’t disappoint you."

"Go now." Donys bowed and quickly left the room to oversee preparations for the moving process. Letting a long sigh through my nostrils, I looked at my father. "One last thing," I reached for the envelope behind me on the desk and handed it to him. "I want you to marry me and Armitage."

That same disagreeing expression from before settled on my father’s wrinkled face yet again, while he opened the envelope and slipped out the letter, then read through it. He pressed his lips together and looked back up at me after a long moment of silence. "I was hoping you wouldn’t do it, but since it’s Faye's last will and you love him, then I will be your officiant."

"Thank you, father." I noticed his eyes glancing at my engagement ring for a brief moment. "I must ask you, though, that my wedding stays secret."

 

What Armitage thought would only take a week or so, two months quickly passed before he could see Esme again, and it was finally the day of their wedding. 

A sense of fulfillment started building up in his chest, while the General was getting dressed in his uniform. There was a soft smile on his lips, something rare that only Millicent, who was sprawled on the bed, saw. She meowed to get Armitage’s attention, and he looked at her through the mirror inside of the wardrobe.

"Is it of your liking?" He asked her, and the cat pushed herself up on her legs, walking towards him and stayed there on the edge of the bed, waiting. "No, I won’t pick you up," he scoffed as if he was having a real conversation with a cat. "I can’t have fur on my uniform the day of my wedding."

When Millicent understood that her owner wasn’t going to pamper her with cuddles, she jumped off the bed and disappeared inside of the bathroom. Armitage gave one last look into the reflection and brushed back his ginger locks, nodding his head when he was ready to go.

When he stepped out of his personal quarters, he headed straight towards the docking bay, for this day he was going to spend it with Esme and he wanted to savor every moment of his staying on Gracelea. As far as his personal knew, General Hux had an important meeting to attend. Well, that was his excuse, even if he didn’t answer to anyone but Supreme Leader, who thought that the General was going to make sure that Queen Esme was still loyal to the First Order. With two spaceships full of Stormtroopers for protection, General Hux boarded his command shuttle and departed from the Finalizer. 

This was the right thing to do, Armitage thought, he wanted to build something greater than the old Empire, but first he needed a family of his own. Esme brought up the question once and he found himself unable to answer if he wanted children. Well, Armitage had some time to think about it while he was alone, and he decided that he wanted them. General Hux didn’t know how he'd do it, but he swore to himself that he was going to be a better father than Brendol ever was. With Esme by his side, their children would become exceptional leaders someday.

Lost in thought, he almost didn’t hear a Stormtrooper informing him that they had just landed on Gracelea after a few hours of flight. Armitage prepared himself walk out of the shuttle as soon as his Stormtroopers marched out before him, creating a long line with them standing on both his left and right side. He thought he’d see Esme waiting for him, but instead saw a man that mirrored him in height and Royal Guards accompanied him.

Before the brunet that blocked his path could speak, four Seal Troopers marched towards them and one spoke up. "We’ll take it from here, Krane." Armitage noticed the narrowing on that man's eyes and how he reluctantly stepped aside, freeing the path. "This way, General Hux."

One last glance at Krane and General Hux gave his Troopers a small sign with his right hand, four of them broke position from the two lines and followed behind him towards the White Castle. Viijin Krane just stood there baffled, he knew who that redhead was, but he didn’t trust him, not after Queen Faye told him that General Hux had almost killed the heir to the throne. Queen Esme only informed him that she’d have a visitor and to give her some space, so technically she didn’t give him the order to be at the landing bay for security measures...

General Hux rose his eyes to the White Castle, the whole front side had been fixed, rebuilt, as if the Resistance had never attacked it in the first place. As soon as he entered the castle, after the Seal Trooper, he was in the throne hall, but it was empty. Armitage wasn’t one to get nervous, but being so close yet not seeing her made his insides clench.

Keeping himself composed to not let his frustration show through his expression, Armitage followed the Seal Troopers across the throne hall and behind a door that had a long corridor. Down the corridor and up some stairs, he was finally in front of a tall and exaggeratedly decorated door, gold colors splashed on a brown surface. One of the Seal Troopers knocked on the door and someone soon opened up, to the general’s surprise, it was Esme’s father.

"This is your last chance to turn around and walk away." Kaladen Roan said with a dead expression and Armitage furrowed his brows in confusion.

"Excuse me?" This could not be real.

"Father!" He heard her shout with annoyance from inside of the room, then Kaladen stepped aside and looked towards his daughter. "Let him in."

"I was just joking," He retorted with a big shrug, "relax." Finally, the man fully opened the door to the office and Armitage saw her.

Two months. It felt like an eternity. But as soon as his blue eyes met her amber ones, that thought was gone. The beauty of her face almost outshined the heavy crown on her head, sitting on top of a perfectly braided hairstyle. The General’s eyes briefly lowered on the simple white dress that appeared to have been directly sewn onto her body, like a second skin.

Kaladen cleared his throat and Armitage was brought back to reality. He batted his eyelids, and she was still there, which reminded him that he should bow to the new Queen, instead of gazing at her as if he had never seen her before.

"You’re speechless, that’s good, right?" She asked him, and he couldn’t help but smile as he stepped closer to her and bowed, taking her left hand in his right one and brought it to his lips.

"You look ravishing, my Queen." He told her, which made her father roll his eyes. Was he like that with Faye? He could not remember.

"Come on, we don’t have all day," Kaladen interrupted the sweet moment. Giving his daughter in marriage to a Hux suddenly made his stomach turn, but he _promised_ Faye to make their daughter happy. "Did you bring the wedding rings?"

"Yes, Sir," Armitage replied and slipped his hand in a pocket of his coat, pulling out a rectangular black box and placed it open on the desk, while the other man stepped behind a said desk and picked up a piece of paper.

Armitage’s eyes fluttered to look at Esme, and saw her smiling at him, cheeks flushed from happiness. It started out as a favor to get out of an unwanted marriage proposal, but they slowly fell in love and it took them more time to realize it. Armitage and Esme didn’t know what the future held in store for them, but they couldn’t care as they were now lost in a deep moment.

"Let’s begin then," Kaladen said after a short sigh. "We are gathered here today to witness the union of two souls who have found each other in between the far ends of the galaxy." He glanced up from the paper at his daughter and at the General; a dull ache made his chest tighten. Young and in love... At least, he hoped it was true love. "Esme Faye Roan, do you take this man, Armitage Hux, as your lawfully wedded husband?"

"Yes, I do." Came the reply without any hesitation.

"And do you, Armitage Hux, take this woman, Esme Faye Roan, as your lawfully wedded wife?" Kaladen looked at the ginger and the other man nodded.

"Yes, I do." He replied, and turned his head to face Esme, both smiling at each other.

"You may exchange rings, now." Esme was the first to pick up the bigger golden ring from the box and slipped it on Armitage’s left hand, then he did the same, and slipped the golden ring right next to the ruby red engagement one on her left hand. "Sign the legal document," Kaladen placed the piece of paper that he had been holding in his hands and the two of them wrote their names under the titles _Husband and Wife_. "By the authority vested in me by the Monarchy of Gracelea, I now pronounce you husband and wife. General Hux, you may now kiss Mrs. Hux."

With slow and warm hands, Armitage cupped Esme’s cheeks and leaned down to kiss her softly, feeling her grin against his lips, then short giggles erupted from her. "We’re married," she murmured in disbelief when they parted.

"We’re married," Armitage repeated with a nod, and kissed her once more just to make sure that it was all real.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m speechless, I too, just like you readers, have long waited for the right moment for it to happen. Maybe some won’t like the way it happened, but I’m happy with the outcome. Now maybe I can focus on TFA and TLJ, what do you think? O should I write some other stuff before the big focus on the other plots?
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter and let me know your thoughts. ♡♡♡


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If this isn’t the best smut I’ve ever written, then I have no idea why I’m even writing.
> 
> Smut smut smut, dom/sub, "General" kink, spanking, cursing and strong language(??)  
> (I guess I need to update the tags)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello beauties! I’m very proud of this chapter, and I hope it’ll make the heat rise to your cheeks, cause I’m still red after writing this.
> 
> I just don’t have much to say, I just wanted them to have their moment of unconditional love for each other (cause they _need_ babies too)
> 
>  
> 
> (There might be some spelling mistakes along the way)

Hand in hand, Armitage and I were strolling in the garden. There wasn’t much to see, since the temperature had dropped considerably and the flowers that once adorned the garden had withered due to the cold. 

It sounded strange at first, but we were husband and wife, finally. My heart wouldn’t stop beating so harshly against my rib cage, from the excitement that flowed in my veins. "Are you cold, my lady?" Armitage asked me with a small smirk, a puff of air leaving his lips. "It’s starting to snow."

I looked up at the sky and inhaled a deep breath, feeling my skin shiver at the temperature that was finally sinking into my bones. The sleeves of my wedding dress were too thin to keep me warm. "Maybe we should head back inside." I said, squeezing gently his hand, and he let it go for a moment, taking off his heavy coat and helped me put it on. "Oh, thank you."

Armitage entwined his fingers with mine once again and we headed back towards the castle. "You did an outstanding job on the reconstructions, I can’t even tell the difference between the old and the new," he said looking up at the building.

"I do have the best architects on Gracelea," I chuckled, glancing at him from my peripheral vision. It was nice talking about something else that wasn’t work related. "They went over the blueprints of the Palace and changed some things, like defensive shields and reinforced the walls... The droids did the rest."

"I can’t think of a better place to raise our children," Armitage added, which made me stop in my tracks and I held him back by the hand. He halted too and turned to face me. My jaw had dropped, my eyes widened in surprise.

"You mean…?" I could barely say what started going through my mind in hyperdrive speed. "Armin, are you sure?" I asked with hesitation, and stepped closer to him. Fixing my pupils on his, I needed to know if he was truly sincere. The topic slipped out once, but his answer was clear. He didn’t want a child.

"I am," Armitage nodded with a kind smile, yet serious. He slipped his hands inside of the coat that I was wearing and placed them on my hips, drawing me closer to him. "If I recall correctly," his voice lowered to a playful tone, "my wife has promised to make my dreams come true."

"Dream, singular," I corrected him, before shrugging when he furrowed his brow at me, still smiling, "Slight detail... But I believe we can come to a new agreement, later." I pushed myself up on my toes and pecked his lips. "Shall we head to our chambers?"

"Yes," The General replied and noticed how I bit my bottom lip with anticipation. I could tell that many naughty things had started going through his mind just by the way his fingers tightened their grip on my hips.

Thank goodness that the whole private area of the castle was empty. I told the maids to just bring some food in my bedroom earlier that morning and then to mind their own business for the rest of the day. I pushed the door to my bedroom open and stepped inside with Armitage.

As soon as the door was shut, I found my back being pressed against the flat surface, his body was flushed against mine. "How’s your wound?" He asked me between kisses, delicately running the tips of his fingers above the spot that used to hurt.

"Completely healed…" The reply came out as a low moan.

Armitage pushed his hands up my body and, when he reached my shoulders, he swiftly made the coat slip down my arms and onto the floor. "This needs to go too." Without even making me turn around to see my back, his fingers expertly reached behind me and unfastened the laces that the maids spent a good amount of time working on to tie my corset. The dress slipped down my curves swiftly and I was left in only my panties.

Armitage took a step back and let his eyes linger on my body; he took notice of how my nipples hardened from the chilly air of the room, and then let his pupils fall onto the uneven rosy scar under my left breast. "As mesmerizing as the rarest gem in the galaxy," the sides of his lips curved up while he unfastened his belt and dropped it onto the floor. 

I just stayed there, watching him getting undressed. Not only was I eager to feel him on my skin, but I was in a playful mood. "What can I do for you, General?"

The amusement in Armitage’s expression made my insides swirl with anticipation. I didn’t even need to ask him, the glint in his eyes was enough to let me know that he loved being referred to as General. His right eyebrow raised as he undid the last button on his shirt and he took it off, again, discarding it on the floor. "Go sit on the bed."

I headed towards the bed and sat on the right side, soft white covers dipping under the weight of my body. I bit my bottom lip to try and hold back my smile from widening when the ginger stepped in front of me, tall and muscly in the right places, fingers working on the button and zipper of his trousers. Impatient, I reached with my fingers to softly graze his toned abs, but Armitage caught my wrist. "No touching, your majesty, until I say so." So that was how it was going to be. The General wanted to be in charge and lead the play. "Hands behind your back." He let go of my wrist and I did as he told me, then waited for him to get rid of the rest of his clothing.

Armitage’s erection was pressing against his tight clothes, but I didn’t let my pupils fixed on it, and I looked up at his blue irises, pupils dilated. Finally, his bulge was freed from its constricting cage and he grasped it in his right hand, the left one snaked behind my head and his fingers tightened their grip at the nape of my neck. He didn’t even let me take off the crown and undo the neat braid that went all around my head.

"No hands?" I dared to ask, still looking into his eyes.

"No hands," he replied with a slight shake of his head and drew my face closer to his manhood. "Spread those lips for me."

I didn’t like following someone else’s orders, just because I was raised to be a leader and give orders, but this intrigued me. I run the tip of my tongue to wet my lips and then wrapped them on the tip of his erection, taking him in my mouth as much as I could. Armitage’s grip on the nape of my neck tightened up, hurting just a bit, and then a shuddering sigh from his nostrils reached my ears.

He let go of his length and gently took my chin between the tips of his fingers. His eyes were scanning my features, stroking the skin under his touch, and it started bothering him that my eyes were closed. "Look at me," my eyes fluttered open and I glanced up from my place, trying to keep the steady rhythm that his hand behind my head made me follow. I couldn’t help but ask myself what was going through his mind, since I couldn’t read his expression.

"Am I doing well?" I asked out of breath when his erection slipped out of my mouth, a salty aftertaste was left on the tip of my tongue. 

"Not when your lips aren’t wrapped around me," Armitage chuckled, stroking my cheek with his hand.

It was a challenge not using my hands. "You’re so difficult to please," I retorted with a pout, using the same words that he had used the first time that we shared a bed. I leaned in once again, without the guidance of his hand and took him in my mouth once again, sucking harder than before. This caused him to take in a sharp breath and a guttural moan left his lips while his eyes shut tightly and Armin faced the ceiling.

Armitage’s muscles stiffened for a short moment and I could tell that he was close to his release, but he made me stop my ministrations, reluctantly. "That’s enough," he breathed out, "stand up."

As soon as his hand retracted, I did as he said and stood up. With his hands on my hips, he made me turn around and slipped my panties down my thighs, then made me bend forward and I placed the palms of my hands on the soft mattress. The crown on my head inadvertently fell onto the covers and rolled away from me, almost off of the bed but stopped on the opposite edge.

With one hand holding me in place on my left hip, the other palm delicately traced the side of my right thigh until Armitage reached my butt-cheek and squeezed it. "Tell me how badly do you want me to fuck you," he said with a husky voice, and I shuddered when I felt his warm fingers trace the entrance to my core. So wet for him, yet he barely touched me there.

"I want you to fuck me until I’m screaming your name like a slut." Heat rose in my cheeks from hearing my own word. 

"That’s right, you’re my slut," Armitage let out a low chuckle and pressed his fingers on my clit, rubbing it torturously slow. I let out a shaky moan and bit my bottom lip. "Don’t make a sound until I tell you to… and if you do, I’m going to pause and wait until you can be quiet again, like a good little girl." He was making it hard for me to keep my self-composure. "Do you understand, Commander?"

Without warning, and since I wasn’t able to see him from my position, I felt my butt-cheek sting when he slapped me. I cried out and closed my fingers tightly around the fabric of the bedsheets. "Yes, General."

"Good girl," he gently stroked the aching spot and slowly started pushing himself into me. My back arched and I reminded myself to keep quiet, focusing on my breathing instead. When I felt him all the way inside of me, my body betrayed me and a long quivering moan reached his ears, causing him to slap me again. "Now, what did I say?" He stood still inside of me just like he said he would do. Although I was impatient for him to just fuck me like an animal in heat, I bit my tongue and stayed silent, complying with his orders.

This man... When I first met him when we were younger, I immediately began hating him with all my heart for how he had looked at me. Even years later, the sight of him made my insides swirl with rage. But now... he had me wrapped around him and I loved every minute of it.

With his hands holding me still by the hips, he begun thrusting inside of me at a fast pace, and I struggled to hold back my moans; my breathing was erratic and I could barely hold myself up on my hands, until Armitage pushed me more towards the bed and I climbed on it with my knees, and supported myself with my elbows.

With each deep thrust, my legs shivered and I almost ended up crying out loud with pleasure, until I couldn’t take it anymore. If I had to beg, I’d beg. "Please, General," I turned my head to face him as much as I could.

Armitage stopped pounding into me and, instead of punishing me for disobeying, he grinned devilishly. "Please what, my Queen? Do you want me to fuck you harder and let everyone know how good I’m making you feel?"

"Yes, please," I nodded, smiling like a little girl.

Armitage snaked his left arm around my belly and slapped me again, making me jolt in pain. "Please what, love?" I had to admit that I wanted him to slap me, I was beginning to like it very much.

"Please, General." I felt him adjust his grip on my waist and he made me stand up on my knees, my back pressed flush against his sweaty chest.

"As her majesty wishes," he purred into my ear, then resumed thrusting into me. This new position was harder to maintain, but perfect for him to hit that sensitive spot inside of me that made my toes curl and my back arch.

Relentlessly bucking his hips against mine, my moans increased, overpowering the skin-to-skin sounds that filled the sacred space of the bedroom. "Oh, Armitage-" There was no shame in letting, whoever could hear me, know the name of the person who was making me feel good. I reached down between my thighs and rubbed my clit in circular motions, immediately feeling my walls tighten around his length and I came undone. Curse words followed by his name in a long moan, and my mind just blacked out for long seconds.

"Good girl..." I barely heard him say with ragged breathing. He was close too, yet he held back his release fa bit longer. "Lay down on your back for me."

Lightheaded from my orgasm, I laid down on my back and smiled at him with a content smile. Armitage settled between my thighs and slipped inside of me once again. His pace was much sloppier now, pupils fixed on mine now that our noses were close. I cupped his cheeks and felt tears brimming my eyes. "I love you," I whispered, smiling softly, "I fucking love you-" my whispers were cut off when Armin captured my lips with his and, with one last thrust, he spilled all of his juices inside of me.

"I love you too, Esme..." My ginger murmured, tiredly leaving a trail of wet kisses from my lips to my neck. He rested his forehead in the crook of my neck and relaxed his body on top of mine, and I didn’t even care that his weight was crushing me, I could barely feel anything in my state of mind, just bliss. "I love you too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s my birthday in two days and on the 5th I’ll be 22yo omg What?? Feels as if I’ve turned 21 only yesterday. Incredible how times flies
> 
>  
> 
> I hope you liked this new update. I’ll give you a hint about the next one just to tease you a bit: Kylo and Esme meet again after a long while and he’ll tell her something that will shock her. Plus, she’ll also meet someone who’s also a General... can you guess who? lol ❤️


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not proofread.
> 
> Thank you for always supporting me and leaving comments of appreciation and love, it means the world to me ❤️❤️❤️

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy this chapter is super long, it was supposed to be even longer, but I don’t know what happened - the app that I use to write saves automatically the data, but the last part is missing and I’m so angry and I don’t want to rewrite it, so I cut short the ending. Venting cause I rewrote this chapter about 3 times before I was finally satisfied with it, and my trusty app failed me D':
> 
>  
> 
> Idk why but I’m so proud of Esme, I feel as if her character is coming to a full circle, she’s so complex and I’ve never imagined that she’d turn out like this when I started this fanfiction... it almost pains me that she’s going to suffer again (did I just drop a hint? Yes I did)

Warm bodies cuddling under the covers with content smiles on their features. I propped myself up on my left elbow and gently run my fingers through Armitage’s long bangs with the right hand, he let out a soft sigh and cracked one sleepy eye open.

"Your hair was far more red when I first met you," I told him in a low chuckle.

Armitage grinned as he opened both his eyes and wrapped his fingers around my wrist, moving down the hand that was petting him and he pushed me down onto the mattress, pinning said hand above my head. "Your hair is just as messy as when I first met you," the ginger pointed out. The braid that formed a crown around my head had wild strands poking out and it started coming undone after all the action that took place in bed.

He leaned in and captured my lips with his, drawing a soft moan from the back of my throat. Armitage rested his forehead on top of mine, sighing once again before his smile faded into disappointment. "What’s wrong, Armin?" I murmured, tracing his lips with the tip of my thumb.

"I have to leave soon," he replied, letting go of my wrist and I was finally able to cup his cheeks with both my hands. "I’m afraid we won’t be able to see each other for quite some time." I furrowed my brow slightly confused and waited for him to continue. "There have been some issues with acquiring the needed materials to work on Starkiller Base, and I have to temporarily move there."

"General, you know that I can help you with that, right?" I pointed out with a raised brow. “As far as I know, I’m still the Commander."

Armitage shook his head and gave me one more kiss. "You have to focus on your relations with the Galactic Senete. The Supreme Leader will surely contact you to work on that."

I pouted my lips and swiftly slipped one of my hands between our bodies, and wrapped my fingers around his flaccid member to stroke it playfully. "I was hoping to work on something else..."

Armitage finally laughed, which made my heart flutter. “And what might that be, my Queen?" He asked intrigued, getting more comfortable between my thighs under the covers.

"Getting pregnant?" I chuckled, feeling him getting harder with every few strokes of my hand. "Why not have some fun time with my husband too?"

"I like the prospect of that..." A devilish grin spread on his features.

I bit my bottom lip before taking Armitage by surprise when I made him roll over on his back and straddled him. "Good, because I’m in charge now."

 

It pained the General to leave his wife - oh man, did he love the sound of that - but they both had to return to the reality of what were their important roles in the galaxy. It was no surprise to him that as soon as he set foot on the Finalizer, Mitaka informed him that Snoke wanted to have a word with him.

What General Hux didn’t expect, though, was that when he arrived in the throne room, the hologram of the Supreme Leader was in Kylo Ren's company. Worn out by the wonderful day he spent away from his job, all Armitage wanted to do then was to return to his quarters and lay down to sleep, but it wasn’t going to happen for at least a few more hours.

"Supreme Leader," The ginger bowed slightly when he entered the throne room. It was rare for Ren to be without his helmet on, so the General couldn’t help but peek on his left at him with a raised brow.

"General, is Commander Roan's position as the new Queen secure?" The deformed humanoid asked with interest. The man nodded after assuring his superior of Queen Esme’s dominance over her reign. "Then it’s time to proceed with caution," Snoke added, leaning back in his seat. "It would be a shame if the Queen decided that she doesn’t need us anymore, and I just know what to do if she steps out of line."

General Hux furrowed his brow lightly, he didn’t like what he had just heard. To him, Snoke gave off the impression of having already decided on a punishment for something that Esme had not done yet. It was a bold decision to retort, and so he chose his words carefully. "Supreme Leader, I can guarantee you that Queen Esme will stay loyal to the First Order."

"Perhaps," Snoke’s eyes narrowed when he fixed his gaze on the ginger, "but should anything happen, Ren will take care of it, and I will consider you responsible for the woman’s failure." And with those last words of warning, the hologram dissolved into thin air.

Kylo sensed immediately the subtle change in the Force, the aura around his fellow colleague became darker. He was _enraged_ , and the only reason for that was the threat directed at the General's _wife_. Kylo wasn’t blind, the shiny golden ring on Hux's hand was a clear giveaway that he had just got married to Esme.

"I would have never believed that _you_ ," Kylo slightly turned to face the General, but his eyes were focused on the helmet in his hands, "the resentful and ruthless General of the First Order," he finally looked up at Armitage's darkened irises, "would develop feelings for someone other than yourself."

Armitage scoffed bitterly at the black haired man’s words. He took a step forward with his hands closed in tight fists at his sides as he spoke to Kylo. "Frankly, I couldn’t care less about the jealousy that you’re displaying, but," the tone of his voice lowered to the point of being barely above a whisper, threatening the the dark force user, "don’t you ever dare lay your dirty hands on Esme."

It hit him right in the guts, but instead of attacking with more words, Kylo simply chuckled, the left corner of his lips curved up. "Then I’d say it’s up to you, General, to keep her safe." Kylo placed the heavy helmet on his head and turned around to leave the room. He didn’t think Hux would be able to see it, but he did, and now Kylo needed to get rid of the feelings that he too had started to develop for Commander Roan. He blamed himself for getting intimate with her in the first place, also, he should’ve told her immediately his name and not give her a fake one. Maybe things would’ve been different.

 

I took in a deep breath and held it in while Naans, one of my maids, tied the string of the corset behind my back. "Is it really necessary that I go into the meeting with a dress?" I asked the woman with a strangled tone; if she tied the corset any tighter, I knew for sure I’d faint.

"You’ve gained some weight, Esme," she pointed out and a few other younger maids laughed softly, earning a scolding from Naans. That woman saw my mother give birth to me and helped her raise me, until I left Gracelea to join the First Order. "And yes, you have to wear a dress. Poor Faye would rise from her grave if she knew you were planning to meet a Senator with a pair of pants on."

I rolled my eyes at how stupid that sounded. "Listen, it’s not my fault if my royal ass is glued to a chair and I work all day." I retorted after taking in a mouthful of air, feeling the corset killing my torso. I couldn’t help but imagine my breasts crying to be freed from that torture. "A constant workout is required to stay in shape."

"Yes, yes..." Naans muttered and let out a sigh when she was done with the ties. She checked one last time that the gown was smooth and didn’t hung too loosely towards the floor. "Anyway, I wasn’t talking about that kind of weight gain..."

"What?" Distracted by the two girls that were braiding my hair in an elegant updo, I glanced at Naans from my peripheral vision.

"I was just asking when was the last time that you saw your husband." The immediate response to her question made the heat rise in my cheeks when Armitage came to my mind, and I noticed the young maids exchange teasing looks. She continued when I was just staring blankly in front of me, thinking about him. "What's his name again?" Naans brought her right hand up, rubbing her chin. "Aramis..? Armen..?"

"It’s Armitage," I told her after she had listed a few names, and looked for her reaction.

"Ah, of course," she clapped her hands and her face wrinkled in a smile. "That’s the name that half the castle kept hearing four weeks ago."

An audible gasp left my red stained lips when she said that and, again, the other maids laughed softly. "Naans! Please stop embarrassing me in front of the girls!"

"Right, I apologize my Queen." She didn’t have one bit of remorse in her mocking expression. The woman stepped closer to the vanity and opened the white box that contained the crown. She picked up the shiny object and placed it on my head as soon as the girl were done styling a crown braid.

I looked at myself in the mirror and let out an unregal, heavy sigh. There was a pounding headache that made me want to rip off the caramel gown and just go back under the covers of my bed. I spent four weeks trying to set up a meeting with Chancellor Lanever Villecham, pulling strings and getting help from other First Order officials that owed me favors, people that I helped as the Commander of the Seals.

 

The Republic City on Hosnian Prime was lit by thousands of lights, some skyscrapers appeared to reach past the clouds and their tops were cloaked by a brown and red mantle; it was about to start raining.

The pilot landed on top of one of the highest buildings and I prepared myself to step out of the spaceship. Krane, standing on my right, gave one last look behind us to make sure that my protective detail of four Royal Guards was ready to escort me, and then nodded at me.

With an imperceptible sigh, I made my way down the ramp and was immediately greeted by the sigh of Chancellor Villecham, a yellow skinned Tarsunt with black eyes and white pelts of fur. Krane raised his left hand towards me and introduced me to the Chancellor.

"Allow me to introduce her majesty the Queen of Gracelea, Esme Faye," Chancellor Villecham bent forward slightly, to bow in respect, an act that appeared quite forced, as if it was the first time that he met royalty. "You majesty, Chancellor Lanever Villecham."

I gave the alien a friendly smile and stepped closer to him, holding out my hand for him to shake it. "Pleased to meet you, Chancellor."

For just a second too long Villecham stared at my hand before he reached out with his and shook it softly. "The pleasure is all mine," he let go of my hand and glanced at guards that accompanied me. "This way." From the rooftop, the Chancellor guided us inside of the building and, with an elevator, we headed a few floors down into his office.

Since the meeting was private, Krane stayed outside in the hallway with the four guards. "I know you’re a busy man," I said as soon as we sat down opposite of each other is luxurious sofas, separated by a marble coffee table, "so thank you for agreeing to meet with me.

The Tarsunt closed his eyes for a brief moment and nodded slowly. "Of course, your majesty. But may I ask you why the sudden interest in the Republic? With all due respect to your late mother, she has always refused to cooperate with the New Republic."

Oh, I knew he would’ve asked it... And I already had the answer to his question. "I believe that my mother didn’t really see the potential of new political and economical aspects of this deal." That wasn’t completely true; my mother didn’t want to open up political relations with the Republic because of her connection with the First Order, she knew that one way or the other, the Order would’ve used her just like they were using me now.

"I understand," Villecham added, but his tone still didn’t convince me of his will to work on a deal. "I believe that you are aware of the opposition's beliefs, some view the First Order as a menace-"

I furrowed my brow and tilted my head to the side. "Let me interrup you right there, Chancellor, I come to you as the Queen of Gracelea." I retorted calmly, "I am doing what is right for my people and my home planet. My affiliation to the First Order has nothing to do with this meeting whatsoever."

"Then I’m sure we can come to some form of agreement..." The sides of my lips were about to curve up, but I stopped myself from smiling after hearing what he said next, "After I’ve discussed this matter with the Senate, a formal proposal could be made."

I swallowed down a hard lump and reluctantly nodded. "In that case, I hope I’ll hear from you again." I stood up from the sofa and the Tarsunt did too, bowing once again before I left his office. The moment Krane saw me, he understood immediately that it didn’t go as planned, of course he wasn’t aware of my true intentions, but he could see my eyes darkening in slight anger. "Let’s just go," I muttered, heading down the hallway, the way that we came from.

How was I supposed to tell Supreme Leader Snoke that just asking to participate in the Republic's affairs needed time to happen? For some reason, I knew that this meeting was going to be somewhat unfruitful.

My eyes caught on a sign on a metal door, a ladies restroom, and I halted in my steps before I entered it without warning Krane and the guards. I needed a moment to breath since the corset was killing me. With a quick glance I made sure that the bathroom stalls were empty and I allowed myself to lean against the marble sink, cursing under my breath. My head started hurting with a pounding headache, and when I looked up at myself in the tall mirror above the sink, I saw the color drain from my face. Nausea stirred my insides and I felt lightheaded.

"Stupid corset-" I covered my lips with the palm of my hand when I felt my stomach growl; in a split second I turned around on my heels and pushed the door to a bathroom stall open, emptying my stomach of whatever was left of my dinner in the toilet. Tears stung my eyes and a cold sweat run down my forehead, but I felt much better even though the aftertaste of vomit made me want to throw up again.

"Oh, dear, are you alright?" The voice of an elderly woman reached my ears and I covered my lips with my hand when I turned around to look at her, crouched on the floor. "Here, let me help you up," she offered me her hand and I gladly accepted it, feeling quite embarrassed at how horrible I must’ve looked in her eyes.

"Thank you," I told her, still covering my mouth and flushed the toilet. As soon as I rinsed my mouth in the sink, I looked at the woman through the mirror when she handed me a paper towel. She was quite short and elegantly dressed, brown eyes framed by a beautiful updo that almost masked the faded brown of her hair. I accepted the kind gesture of this stranger and dried my mouth and chin, then shyly looked down at my hands when I replied to her with a smile. "I’m sorry you had to see that... I guess diplomacy isn’t my preferred field after all."

The woman chuckled and run the warm palm of her hand on my bare right upper arm. "Don’t worry, I went through the same thing when I was younger," she told me, and I raised my eyes to hers. 

Now that I was more focused, I noticed something strange... Some kind of familiarity in those brown irises, the shade was similar to... _No, you’re imagining things_. I pushed down the thought, knowing that it wasn’t possible and thanked the woman once again. "May I know the name of such a kind woman as yourself?"

"Princess Leia Organa," as soon as she introduced herself, my smile faded and I took a step back, all senses of high alert from the unexpected shock. "And you must be Queen Esme, I believe?" She paused when I didn’t know what to say. "Or is it Commander Roan?"

Finally, after a long moment of daze, I pursed my lips together and made a small nod, still keeping my gaze fixed on her. "I must admit, General Organa," I used her Resistance title, "I’m impressed. To what do I owe this eventful meeting?" Thinking about it, the Resistance could’ve hired someone to take advantage of my meeting with Chancellor Villecham and probably kill me, but I would have never believed that the General herself was going to show up, not even with the Royal Guards protecting me.

"I was hoping we could come to an understanding of what the current situation is," Leia said, leaning her lower back against the sink while still keeping her eyes on me. 

I tilted my head in curiosity and briefly glanced towards the exit. "Then I suggest to make it quick," I lowered my voice, "Sir Krane will get anxious if I don’t walk out of the restroom in five minutes."

"I’ve been in this war for decades," Leia sighed tiredly, as if only talking about it actually worn her out. "No matter what name it is called with, Empire or First Order, it will always be an oppressive dictatorship."

"And Snoke is the dictator, in your opinion," I pointed out, crossing my arms in front of my chest. "Why come to me, Princess?" I knew that whatever she was going to tell me, it would not change what I thought about the Order. The galaxy was unstable, and civilization needed someone with a strong hand to impose rules and laws to create stability, which promoted progress towards a better future. A single point of view could change the way this goal was perceived and I was convinced that Snoke, as the Supreme Leader, wasn’t fit to be in charge of the First Order. Someone like Armitage would’ve- No, _Armitage was better_. "My understanding is that you know whom I work for, and let me tell you that I have no particular influence over the Order."

"You’re still young," Leia said, a glint in her irises that let me know that she was talking from experience, "only time can give you an opportunity to make things better. Snoke won’t be around forever to cause destruction and tear to shreds families..." The tone of her voice lowered, a hint of sadness that made my heart clench. "There is still hope that this war will come to and end and it’s up to your generation to keep the peace stable."

Suddenly, a few knocks made us look at the door in alert and the muffled voice of Krane reminded me that I needed to leave. "Your majesty, is everything alright?"

"Just a minute!" I replied, then faced the General of the Resistance once more. "Your concern won't go unheeded. One more thing..." Subconsciously, I brought my hands to cup protectively the scar behind my corset, "Did you know that some Resistance members tried to kidnap me and destroyed my home? I have a scar right here that reminds me of it everyday." The memory was still fresh in my mind and I kept reliving it almost every night.

I didn’t care to hide the pained expression on my features nor the slight quiver in my voice, and Leia immediately reached out to take one of my hands in hers, as a mother would, and then shook her head. "If I had know about it, I would have stopped them. I’m sorry you experienced something so terrible." There was no lie behind her words, she was sincerely apologizing for something that somebody else did and I believed her.

 

The whole flight to the Finalizer I kept thinking about Princess Leia's words. Could there truly be peace if Snoke died? What if it really wasn’t about Snoke and it all depended on different beliefs? If that was the case, then people supporting the First Order and the Resistance would always exist, the Republic was just a conglomerate of both parties.

I groaned with exhaustion and wondered how much longer it’d take to reach the Finalizer. I just wanted to see Armitage, forget about my job while his arms are wrapped around me. He was on Starkiller Base, but I couldn’t go there with Krane and my guards as they didn’t even know of the base in the first place. Their orders were to leave me on the Finalizer, and from there Stormtroopers were instructed to take me to General Hux, a Seal Trooper shuttle would come to pick me up later.

With the knowledge that part of my makeup had faded and the braid on my head had begun to loosen up after many hours of flights, I removed the heavy crown from my head and handed it to Krane, who was keeping me company in a private area of the ship. "I trust you to take it back to Naans," I told the Knight. He took the object from my hands and gazed at me confused for a moment.

"Your majesty, are you sure you don’t want us to come with you?" The man asked me with concern laced in his tone. "After all, our job is to assist and protect you."

As I worked on my braid to undo it, I sighed softly at his question. "How many times do I have to remind you that I’m not just a Queen, Viijin?"

"I know, your majesty," Krane immediately lowered his chin to the floor while his fingers closed a bit tighter around the crown in his hands, "and I apologize for that, but I cannot bring myself to trust the man that almost killed you."

His words made me freeze up with my fingers still tangled in my hair. Taken aback by that confession, I furrowed my brow at the brunet. "That man you speak of is my husband," I told him cold as ice, "and I will not tolerate your hostility towards him. If you cannot trust him, then I ask you to trust me. Can you do that, Sir Krane, trust your Queen?"

"Always." But could I trust him?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I should rewrite the summary that introduces the fic to the readers, but I have no idea what to write. If some of you would like to help me, please leave any helpful suggestion in the comments or I’ll give you my email! I’ll be forever grateful for your help since I suck at summaries hehehe ^^” ❤️


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not proof-read, so I apologize in advance for the possible mistakes that you may find while reading
> 
> By the way, I changed the work's opening summary, I hope it's better now! :D
> 
> Update: okay I had a dream last night where my reflection in the mirror started yelling at me because I changed the summary, tbh it gave me anxiety and so I switched it back to the original one... just how weird can I be

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, I'm feeling like trash. I caught the flu a couple of days ago and spent all my time sprawled in bed, sleeping. I'm still not feeling very well, but I felt a bit better today so I decided to finish the new chapter before returning to the warm coziness of my bed.
> 
> Honestly, I was expecting more from this chapter, but due to my physical and mental condition I'm happy with what I wrote for now.
> 
> What do you think about all these secrets that are piling up around? Who will suffer the most when the truth comes out?
> 
> Also, do you guys know/like Adelaide Kane?? Cause I believe she would be perfect as Esme ((GOSH I wish I had the skills make manips of Armin and Esme))

I watched as the Royal Spaceship lifted up and turned around, flying out of the docking bay of the Finalizer and back into space. Two Stormtroopers approached me and nodded to a black Upsilon-class command shuttle. "This way Commander," one of them said and I followed them inside of the transport.

The moment I stepped on that command shuttle, my eyes landed on a dreadful figure cloaked in black robes. He was sitting in the far back of the passenger area, leaning on his knees with his elbows. I took in a deep breath and decided to sit across from him. "Ren," I said in a monotone tone, keeping my eyes fixed on that mask of his, that became clearer when he raised his head and the light reflected on the shiny surface.

He stayed silent for a long moment before he said something. "This new look doesn’t really suit you, Commander Roan." Well, that was going to be a very long flight...

I was aware of how my lipstick left a faded red stain behind and my mascara had smudged lightly under my eyes. I flipped my wavy hair behind my right shoulder and leaned my back against the cold surface of the wall, shrugging. "I guess it’s because I’m tired, but for some reason I agree with you." And then we were back to silence. It had been about an hour since the command shuttle took off to Starkiller Base, and I was getting frustrated from the lack of conversation. "What shade are your eyes?" The only reaction of confusion that I got from the man was a tilt of his head, since I couldn’t see his face because of that mask of his.

"Why do you care?" The robotic voice asked, irritated.

I shrugged with my arms crossed, averting my gaze to the floor. "Pure curiosity..." I lied.

The swift upward movement of his hands caught my attention and I looked up with anticipation, lips slightly parted. Kylo removed his hood and helmet and, with a heavy thud, placed it on an empty seat next to him. "Come and see for yourself."

There was no real emotion on his features, just a passive hostility towards me. Now was the chance to finally put my mind to peace, so I stood up and stepped closer to Kylo; gently, I placed my thumb and index finger on his chin, lifting his head up so I could get a better look with the poor lighting that the room provided. Some of his black locks got in the way and I pushed them away from his face with the other hand. I could not believe it, they were just like _hers_...

Lost in my thoughts, Kylo grasped the hand that had been holding his chin in place and pushed it away, but still kept a tight grip on it. "Satisfied with what you saw?" It only took him a second for his expression to change, a crease formed on his forehead as he stared back at me.

My heart skipped a beat, as if Kylo had clearly seen what were my thoughts, and he stood up from his seat towering over me with an unspoken threat. "Let me go," I barely managed to whisper.

"You’re playing a dangerous game, Esme," Kylo murmured, pushing me backwards with his weight until the back of my legs touched the seats behind me. The iron grip that he had on my wrist was starting to hurt, but I was terrified to even breath in his presence. Chills run down my spine when I felt something sinister creep up in my mind. "I’m an unscrupulous man when it comes to my secrets. I don’t care if you’re carrying General Hux’s child, should the truth come out of your red lips," he paused, one warm breath away from my face, "I’ll make you pay for it."

"Commander Ren," a Stormtrooper called for the man’s attention, "We’re about to land on Starkiller Base." He didn’t even look at the soldier, his eyes were fixed on mine until he finally released my wrist and turned around to pick up his helmet, then put it back on his head and followed the Stormtrooper.

A shuddering breath left my quivering lips and I let myself collapse on the seat behind me. Instinctively, my arms wrapped around my lower belly. "Merciful stars..."

 

A gust of wind carrying snowflakes made me shiver under my red coat as soon as I stepped out of the black shuttle. Starkiller Base was an actual planet, and as far as I knew, it was about four times the size of the old Death Star, which impressed me quite a lot.

Sounds of marching boots in the distance reminded me of the SEALTs Base on Dreena, except it never snowed there, but it could get awfully cold at night. I should’ve known to bring a change of clothes and shoes, since I was freezing in just a dress and heels underneath my coat.

The sight of Armitage walking out of the base and heading towards the landing grounds made me smile, and for just a moment I forgot all my worries. "This place looks nice, General." I told him when he was close enough to hear me.

"You haven’t seen anything yet, Commander," he replied with pride in his voice. The smile that he had lasted for about three seconds before his eyes traveled behind me, looking at the command shuttle. "I hope Ren behaved himself during your flight..."

I shrugged under the coat and stepped closer to Armitage to snake my right arm around his left one, pushing the memory of my conversation with Kylo in the back of my mind. "Thankfully, it was boring," I lied with a convincing smile as we begun walking towards the entrance to the base. "Anyway, he stormed off as soon as we touched ground." I noticed how the ginger closed his eyes and sighed softly in relief. "If I had to choose a companion for the flight, that would’ve been Captain Phasma." I chuckled.

"I’m sure you’re tired," he said after taking in my appearance, "I’ll personally show you around after you are rested."

"Actually..." I slowed down my footsteps until I came to a full stop, turning my body to face him and looked him in the eyes. There was something that I needed to make sure of, and I couldn’t just tell Armitage that I was pregnant based on Kylo's words. "I’m not feeling very well." The General furrowed his brow with concern. "Can you take me to the medical bay?"

"What’s wrong?" He asked me, starting to take off one of his leather gloves. He raised his right hand to feel my forehead; the skin seemed to burn under his touch. "Why didn’t you say something sooner?" Armitage scolded me and we resumed walking. "Can you walk or should I carry you?"

"Armin, relax," I laughed at his preoccupation. "I’m going to be just fine." After arriving at the medical bay, I thought Armitage would go back to work, but he refused to leave my side as he told me that he needed to make sure that everything was alright, that maybe all I had was a slight fever. "I can’t wait to get out of this dress," I breathed out when the med-droid was done taking a blood sample.

"The results of the test will be ready in ten minutes," the droid informed me as it applied a bandaid over the puncture on my left arm, then instructed me to hold a bit of pressure of the spot until it stopped bleeding. "I’ll be back." And with that, the droid left the room.

Armitage was waiting in a corner with his hands laced behind his back, a stern expression on his handsome face. The smile that I showed him didn’t seem to ease his tension. "You should be more careful with your health."

"Actually, these symptoms make me quite happy," I retorted, hoping he was going to catch on the hints. "Headaches, fatigue, nausea, a fever..." I listed one after the other, but he still wasn’t showing any sign of understanding.

"Esme, it sounds like a terrible illness, something to not joke around with." He was mad for some reason, but I didn’t let his gloomy mood ruin my cheerful one.

"Come," I motioned with a finger, "come here." At this point, I couldn’t stop smiling. Armitage rolled his eyes and stepped closer to me, where I was sat on a medical bed, and placed the palms of his hands on top of my thighs. He leaned down until his nose was close to mine. I lowered my voice as I spoke, wrapping my arms around his shoulders, "My love, you’re going to be a father."

His eyes widened and he stepped away from me, making my arms drop in my lap; Armitage straightened his posture as he stared at me in disbelief, lips parted. "What?" He mumbled. "Are you sure?"

There was a newfound spark in his blue irises. I took in a deep breath and held it in for a moment, hugging my lower belly. Kylo told me that I was carrying General Hux’s child, the only way he could’ve known that was through the Force. I knew nothing about the Force, but I knew Kylo; there was no reason for him to lie while also threatening my life. "I am," I released the breath that I’ve been holding back. My eyes filled with tears.

Finally, a positive reaction came from Armitage; the ginger smiled and closed the distance between us once again, wrapping his arms around my shoulders and I rested my right cheek on his chest. "If the results come back positive, then you’ve made me the happiest husband today."

Ten minutes felt like an eternity, Armitage kept pacing back and forth the room. He was even more nervous than I was, it was quite a scene to watch, I’ve never seen him so anxious before. Finally, the med-droid flew back into the room and Armitage immediately halted his pacing and laced his hands behind his back, furrowing his brows at the machine. "Well?" He asked impatiently.

"The test result show that there is nothing wrong with the patient," the med-droid replied to the General, then turned to face me, "however, the high level of hCG confirm that you’re expecting a child." 

My breath hitched in my throat and my eyes widened; this was exactly what I was looking forward to. A high pitched scream made Armitage jolt on his feet and look at me in astonishment, then soft giggles erupted from my lips. "Yes!" I breathed out between giggles.

"The only thing that I recommend is to stay warm and hydrated," the droid added. "Stress and heavy lifting should be avoided as much as you can. My work here is done, good evening."

The med-droid left the room and I stood up from the bed, stepping closer to Armitage. He was at a loss for words, he just kept staring at me with his lips parted. "I wish I had a camera to frame your reaction," I was still laughing uncontrollably from the happiness that filled my chest.

"We’re going to be parents," Armitage stated, more to himself than to me.

"Yes, we are," I snaked my arms around his shoulders and pecked his lips, "we're going to have a little Princess."

Armitage finally laughed, his face gaining color and he leaned in to kiss me passionately. Now that I thought about it, it was rare to hear him laugh wholeheartedly. "Or a General Hux Junior," he whispered against my lips.

"I’m still going to love him as much as I love you."

 

Armitage was holding Esme in his arms, her head was lying onto his chest and her right ear was listening to his heartbeat. After taking a quick shower, she put on some of his clothes to stay warm and fell asleep almost immediately.

He couldn’t have been happier to know that their legacy would be passed onto their child, but what she told him about her meeting with Chancellor Villecham bothered him. If Esme failed to establish a political agreement with the Republic, then Snoke was going to punish her and Armitage wasn’t going to let that happen... He didn't know what kind of punishment Snoke had in store for her, but knowing the humanoid, someone was going to die. Armitage considered Esme his only family, the only person that actually loved him and he fell in love with.

His eyebrows lifted when an idea crossed his mind... There was something he could do to help her, maybe turn more senators on her side. A formal gala was held every few months by some members of the Galactic Senate, who hosted their First Order benefactors as a form of gratitude for supporting their political campaigns. As General, Armitage has always been invited to such a grand occasion, but rarely attended it with reason.

It seemed like a perfect plan, until all kind of doubts started running through his head. First of all, attending the gala meant to come out in the open about the General and the Commander's relationship. Secondly, who knew how many enemy spies were going to be there to gather information about the First Order, which meant exposing Esme and her unborn child to yet another risk...

Armitage was deeply lost in his thoughts that he didn't even feel Esme stir in his arms. She looked up at him in the dim light of the room, provided by a lamp on the well next to his side of the bed, and with slumber weighing on her eyelids she furrowed her brows. "Armin?" She called for his attention and his eyes moved from the ceiling onto hers. "Why are you still awake?" She whispered.

Armitage smiled reassuringly and kissed her on the temple, "I'm too excited to sleep," he told her, which was true only in part. He wondered if he should tell her about his meeting with the Supreme Leader, try to warn her at least, but then remembered what the med-droid told them: avoid stressful situations because it was unhealthy for the baby.

Esme bit her bottom lip as she traced Armitage's chin with the tip of her index finger, pupils shifting from his lips to his eyes. "Is it because you're going to be a father?"

"That," he gently grasped her hand and kissed her knuckes, "and I was thinking about our Empire." The look of confusion returned on her features and she propped herself up on her elbow, to get a better view of his face. "I don't think you realize the things I'm willing to do for you." Armitage confessed in the intimacy of their bedroom.

Her body stiffened in his arms and a long moment passed with Esme's lips parted, words lingering on the tip of her tongue but she didn't know how to phrase them. "Should I be pleased or scared to hear about this idea of yours?"

Armitage chuckled at her question, which eased her tension, and a devilish grin settled on his face. "It's more than just an idea, love, it's a goal. There's a better title to achieve than Supreme Leader." 

She was quicker now to catch on his implication. Esme moved under the covers so that she could straddle him and his hands instinctively gripped her hips while hers rested on his bare pectorals. "Should I start practicing the use of this title?" Esme asked, arching one eyebrow playfully. "Emperor Hux?"

That was another thing of many others that he loved about her. Armitage trusted her so much that he wasn't afraid to share his deepest and darkest thoughts, for they were alike and she shared the same views and dreams like him, despite their peculiar differences. "You will be my Empress," he was _physically_ getting excited and she could pleasantly feel it right between her thighs, "and the galaxy will bow at our feet."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know about you guys, but I personally believe that General Hux is a man who, when he truly loves someone, he's a hardcore lover. Most of the Armin/Esme scenes are set in the intimacy of a bedroom, where I believe the General is more comfortable to express himself with his lover. At the end of the day, this is a fan fiction so I don't put too much thought into the whole "omg he's so out of character rn", because that's the beauty of writing fics, to take the characters that we love and write them from our perspective and interpretation.  
> I stand by this even more after watching TLJ (( ** _SPOILER_ from this point for those who didn't watch it** )) since it let us know that General Hux isn't completely heartless: when Poe mentions Armitage's mother, he just loses his shit. (Again, from a personal point of view) If General Hux didn't care about or love his mother, I believe his reaction would've been slightly different.
> 
>  
> 
> I know some people don't share my opinion, and I respect that, but those who do, I want to thank you for reading my work and supporting my writing. For someone who isn't a native English speaker, being able to write in a different language has taught me many important things, and I hope to continue doing so in the future and reach out to more people along the way.


	26. Chapter 26

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Warnings** : cursing, panic attack (idk I just want to make sure that y’all are okay with it), angst

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well hello lovelies! I’m back with a new update that I’ve just finished writing cause I was feeling super inspired. I went back and listened to Lorde's "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" and Florence & The Machine's "Seven Devils" because I thought they would fit well the angst that I was going for AND IT TOTALLY WORKED I’m so sorry for the feels that will follow pls have a tissue for the tears 
> 
>  
> 
> Sherth is a made up planet just like Dreena and Gracelea, and honestly tho I really like the sound of it lol

Sherth was a private planet in the Inner Rim of the galaxy, one could describe it as the place to visit when on vacation... And only if that certain person was truly wealthy. Rich in evergreen vegetation, lakes and rivers, its owner provided his visitors with only the best service if they were willing to pay lots of credits for it.

There was no doubt to why senators, First Order officials and other filthy-rich people loved to come here; the first thing that caught my attention when Armitage and I set foot on Sherth were all the decorations that surrounded the venue, statues made of gold that practically screamed _luxurious lifestyle_. It honestly made me feel nauseated, to see how these people were throwing away their money when there was so much poverty in the rest of the galaxy was disgusting.

"If you squeeze any tighter, your nails will rip a hole in my arm," Armitage whispered and I looked at him confused, then glanced down at my left hand. When I saw how white my knuckles had become from clenching too tightly the inside of his right arm, I immediately relaxed the grip and apologized. "I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so nervous before."

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes and returned my vigilant gaze to the people around us as we headed towards the gala. "I have a bad feeling about this..." I murmured. It was full of guards and security cameras before entering the grand gala reception, and live orchestra music appeared to come from every direction.

"You look stunning, my Queen," Armitage said to make me feel better, eyeing the risqué cleavage of my dress. A black tight-fitting garment that hugged my curves and left some parts of my body exposed; it was quite a bold choice for the event, especially for a Queen.

One corner of my lips curved up and I raised my nose a bit higher while delicately flipping the wavy locks of hair over my shoulder. "Thank you, General" I batted my lashes at him, "You look very handsome as well." Ginger hair slicked back, clean shaven face and an expensive tuxedo made Armitage look like a professional model, at least in my eyes. I hoped that my expression looked as confident and dominant as his was.

Our participation at this event was supposed to help me make connections with First Order sympathizers, and I silently prayed for it to work. Despite my prejudices towards these people, I made an effort to be likable, and I sure as hell wasn’t going to waste my husband's help.

The heads that turned in our direction as we slowly made our way through the crowd were hard to miss, plus, the golden shine of the tiara on my head was eye catching. It was only a matter of seconds before someone on top of the hierarchy chain approached us.

A tall brunet, probably around fifty and that almost matched Armitage in height, stepped in front of us and smiled at my husband as an old acquaintance would. "Glad you could make it, General Hux," he held out his hand and Armitage shook it back politely, smiling ever so slightly. "It’s become rare to see you in public." The man's pupils flickered down at my hand that was holding the General's arm, and he saw the two rings on my finger but didn’t dare make direct eye contact with me.

"When you’re a man as busy as me, there’s little to no time to enjoy an evening like this," Armitage replied without too much enthusiasm, as if to warn this person to choose his next words carefully.

"Of course, of course, General..." The other man agreed, and finally looked at me. "I’m humbled by your presence, your majesty," the man bowed exaggeratedly.

"Queen Esme, this is Jahuri Comscarr, the owner of Sherth," Armitage introduced him at last.

I made a nod to answer the bow and displayed a friendly smile to the man. "Delighted to meet you," was all I said.

Every now and then other people would approach us, both men and alienkind to introduce themselves, some were new faces even to Armitage but the majority were senators, which was a good thing in my favor.

The flute of expensive champagne in my hand was for pure looks, the doctor on Gracelea made it pretty clear to me that alcohol was a big no-no for my baby’s health. I couldn’t help but release a bored sigh from how dry my mouth was from all the talking.

"I have to agree on that one," Armitage whispered in my ear after we finally found a moment for ourselves.

I furrowed my brow and shrugged. "I didn’t say anything."

"You don’t have to, I can see how tiresome this event is to you." I couldn’t help but laugh softly when I felt his hand travel a bit too far down the small curve of my back, dangerously resting on my butt.

"You sir have had one too many drinks," I retorted playfully, knowing fully well that Armitage had consumed only one flute of champagne. "Besides, my feet are starting to swell and..." I trailed off when my eyes caught a waiter passing by with a tray full of hors d'oeuvre. "And if I don’t eat something in the next thirty minutes, your son and I will become upset beasts."

Armitage arched his brows and grinned at my choice of words. "Let me see if I can find something to fulfill my love’s request." The General took the glass of booze from my right hand and then brought it up to his lips, kissing the knuckles softly before disappearing towards the buffet tables.

"I cannot stress enough how incredibly disgusted I am," the voice of Brendol Hux made me jolt slightly in my heels and I looked over to my side to see him standing there, with his hands laced behind his back and the same stiff posture as always. His expression was a clear grimace directed at me, yet his eyes were gazing towards the way his son had taken.

Of course he was going to be there, I thought. Why wait for Armitage to leave my side before Brendol could approach me? "Would you mind making yourself more clear?" The tone of my voice dropped due to the unpleasant vibe that I was getting from that man.

"You turned him into a lapdog," my unfortunately father-in-law spat out, facing me. He kept his tone to a controlled level, making sure that only I could hear him over the music played by the orchestra. "I raised my son to be better than anybody else, to be disciplined and detached from emotions. The only thing that I regret teaching him is to take whatever he wants when he wants it, the stubbornness is just a natural trait of his character that I took and enhanced it. That’s why I am disappointed, because he chose you and you’re going to be his downfall."

The intensity of his words hit me right in the guts, making my jaw drop at just how much he hated me. "What do you- what do you think gives you the right to talk to me like that?!" I took in a sharp breath bewildered by his audacity. The knuckles that had been kissed by Armitage just a few minutes before started itching with the desire to strike his father right on the nose. "I don’t know what kind of problem you have with me and, frankly, I don’t care, but I suggest that you leave me and my husband alone."

Brendol scoffed, eyeing me from head to toe. "Otherwise what? What are you going to do?" He asked mockingly. "Attack me like you did with Miss Carraway?" The thought of the teacher from the Academy crossed my mind, and I couldn’t even bring myself to imagine what she must’ve told him about me. She was the one that attacked me first and I just... Dislocated her jaw in return.

"This conversation is over," I deadpanned. No matter what I wanted to say, I knew it wasn’t going to change his opinion about me.

"Perhaps," Brendol said, averting his gaze from me when he saw his son heading back towards us. "Armitage," he paused looking at a small plate rich with appetizers in one hand and a glass filled with some kind of blue liquid in the other one, "having fun?"

"I was, until I saw you bothering my wife." Something clearly must’ve happened between the two of them, the cold glare that Armitage was giving his father was enough of a giveaway.

"We were just chatting," Brendol laughed without emotion, "weren’t we?" He looked at me, but I pursed my lips and looked somewhere else, ignoring him. "Well then, enjoy the rest of the evening." With that being said, he turned around and disappeared among the crowd.

I took in a deep breath and released it slowly through my nostrils, tired eyes looking for Armitage’s. "I mean, I know he’s your father, but next time I see him can I punch him?" Armitage shook his head briefly. "Are you _sure_ I can’t punch him in the face?"

"Yes," he handed me small plate with the appetizers.

At this point I asked again just to annoy him. "What if I just break his nose a little?" I smiled innocently.

Armitage picked up a round tart filled with jam and brought it up to my lips. "Esme, no." I pouted my lips for a moment but then gladly sunk my teeth into the sweet food, careful not to bite his fingers.

"I hope every person in this room gets jealous," I whispered to him as soon as I finished chewing and swallowed down the tart, "I have the best husband one could only dream about."

 

By the time I received a message back from Chancellor Villecham, I was a few weeks into the second trimester of my pregnancy. It was much harder then to hide my belly bump, no matter what kind of clothes and coats Naans suggested that I wore for public appearances. 

She didn’t really understand why I was trying to hide it for as long as I could. "I remember the day when your mother announced to the whole Gracelea that she was pregnant with the heir to the throne," she told me with a distant look in her eyes and a cheerful smile, "People in all the major cities celebrated for an entire weekend."

Unfortunately, I wasn’t like my mother. Sometimes I wished I had developed her lovable charisma that gained her the support of almost anyone. Unlike her, I had to constantly pay attention to the things I said and did, there were still people who didn’t trust me because they knew I was part of the First Order.

_"As predicted, the mission was a success."_ Donys informed me via hologram that the Seals had delivered an important package to Starkiller Base without inconveniences.

"That’s what I like to hear," I smiled at my lieutenant. The hologram flickered for a brief moment and I leaned against the desk with my elbows. "Why am I getting interferences?" I asked confused.

_"That’s our fault, I have yet to ask you for permission to run a complete check of the base's security system."_ I stopped to think about it and remembered that SEALT Base needed to be updated and equipped with new features.

Someone knocked on the door to my office and I let them come in. Sir Krane stepped inside with a datapad in his hands, but waited patiently before handing me the device, since I was busy. "Have the technicians run a scan to see if Dreena's orbital Shield Gate needs to be fixed," I instructed Donys. "Any other malfunctions can be taken care of once the planetary shield goes back online." The only bugging flaw of Dreena's shield was that it had to be disabled during security check ups, due to the older version of the program. I was no engineer, but after having spent so many years on that planet one learns that communications and data transfers stop working when the planetary shield is malfunctioning.

_"It will be done."_ The hologram faded after a few seconds when the transmission ended, and I directed my full attention to Krane.

"Please, tell me you have good news," I sighed, pushing back my chair and stood up, circling the desk to stop in front of him.

"We have received a message from Chancellor Villecham for you, your majesty," Krane handed me datapad and let his eyes fall to my swollen belly.

"Did he say if it was urgent?" I asked, switching on the device and the screen lit up. Nervousness started building up inside of me because this was the turning point of the plan. I was about to tap my finger on the message when I realized that Krane hadn’t replied to my question. "Krane?" I noticed his eyes lift up from belly and he appeared flustered for some reason.

"Uh- I apologize," he gasped, "Your- your majesty should probably fix her sweater."

"What-" I looked down and saw the skin of my belly exposed just a little, and immediately pulled down the hem of the sweater to cover myself. Embarrassment flooded my cheeks, since I was just beginning to get used to the changes that my body was going through, and one of my subordinates pointing something like that out made me feel like an idiot. "Returning to the initial subject..." I cleared my throat as I went back to open up the message. After a few long minutes of reading, I felt the floor being swept away from under my feet. 

 

_To Queen Esme of Gracelea,_   
_After a prolonged session with the Galactic Senate, a decision has been made. The majority of votes are in favor of allowing Gracelea to participate in the New Republic's affairs and be represented by its own legal leader. However, the accord only refers to an economic alliance, as half of the Senate finds it disconcerting to admit a monarch into a democratic government._

_With that being cleared out, I’m sending you my best regards until our next meeting._   
_— Chancellor Lanever Villecham_

 

That could not be possible. My plan had crumbled to pieces. "Get out," the tone of my voice lowered dangerously when I spoke to Krane. "I said _get out_!" I yelled when I saw the brunet hesitate but still not move, his eyes widened in shock by the sudden outburst. Without waiting any longer, Krane quickly exited my office, leaving me alone. My breathing rate had increased with the heartbeats of my heart and in a fit of rage I threw the datapad against a wall; the device hit the flat surface with a loud thud and dropped on the floor, the screen shattered in large cracks but still emitted light. "Shit- shit!" I hissed.

This was a complete disaster... How was I supposed to fix it? I had to report to Snoke, one way or another. I took in a deep breath and tried to calm myself since I had hope that Armitage was probably going to have a better solution; he always knew what say to help me figure out what to do.

I was shaking with fear, my brain had just stopped working properly since I had no idea what was going to happen. Snoke was unpredictable, and the knowledge of my failed attempt to become part of the Republic meant that I had no use for him.

Trying to control my breathing was useless and I knew that how I was reacting to the problem had a worse effect on my child. There was only one person that could calm me down right then. I left my office and headed a few floors down to the kitchens, where Naans was training the younger maids to learn how to cook. "Naans?" The young maids gasped in shock when they saw the Queen entering the kitchen with a tear-stained face and hyperventilating.

The head-maid dropped whatever she was doing when she heard me call for her and assumed the worst. "What’s wrong Esme?! Is it the child?" The woman ran to my side and helped me sit down at one table. "Speak to me," she said when she saw me hugging my belly with one arm while the other hand was resting with the palm flat against my chest.

"I’m having a panic attack," I told her with a strangled tone.

"Don’t worry, everything’s going to be fine." Naans cupped my cheeks with her hands and looked at one of the other maids, "Quick, Heyra, bring me some water." The woman’s eyes were back on mine and she told me to mimic her breathing, "In through the nose and out with you mouth." I nodded and inhaled deeply, holding it in as long as she did and then exhaled slowly a shuddering breath, repeating it a couple of times until I stopped shaking and crying. "Better?" I nodded in reply. "Here, this will freshen you up," she took a tall glass of water from the girl named Heyra and handed it to me.

I took a huge sip from the glass and set it on the kitchen table quite ungraciously, exhaling a heavy sigh. "That was intense," I groaned while looking up at Naans.

With the most serious expression she could pull off, she agreed with me. "You definitely got that from Faye. Only she had such violent mood-swings during her pregnancy."

I furrowed my brow and just stared at her with my mouth open. "Are you saying that the next time I get upset I will have another panic attack?!"

Naans shrugged in reply and told the maids to return minding their own business, and they didn’t protest. "You’ve had enough work for one day, your majesty, it’s time to rest." These past few months I didn’t know what I would’ve done without her support, she was the only motherly figure I had after Queen Faye. Naans held out her handy help me stand up and I accepted her kind gesture, following her out of the kitchen. "You gave me quite a scare, dear. I’ll tell the girls to bring you some food on a tray to your chambers."

"I’m sorry," I murmured, feeling her reach out to rub my back soothingly with the palm of her left hand. "Only now I come to the awareness of the drastic changes in my life," I confessed, "Much more has happened than what I’ve bargained for when I joined the Order."

"Are you apologizing to yourself?" Naans asked out of sheer curiosity, but then changed her question when she saw how my brows knit together in deep thought. "Do you regret following in your father’s footsteps?"

My feet halted at the sound of her words and I stared blankly in front of me for a long time. "No," I softly shook my head, instinctively resting my hands on my swollen belly and looked down at it, "If I hadn’t decided to follow him, then I would have never met Armitage." I looked on my right at the woman and showed her a sad smile. "He’s the main reason why I put so much work into becoming Commander."

_...You’re going to be his downfall._ Brendol's words suddenly replayed in my mind. _...You’re going to be his downfall._

I let out a heavy sigh when I finally understood what had to be done. "Thank you, Naans, you can go back to the girls now."

She knew that look of determination, and although she wanted to make sure that I was going to be fine, Naans took a step back and bowed. "As you wish, my Queen."

Once I was alone, I couldn’t help but turn towards the windows that faced the afternoon sky and I looked up, whispering to myself. "Armitage doesn’t deserve to suffer because of me." I was ready to take full responsibility for my own failures.

 

Kylo was strutting fast and menacing down the hallways of the Finalizer, his whole body was cloaked in black, helmet on to inspire fear in those who looked at him. A sharp turn to the left and he was on the control bridge. "General Hux," many heads turned around when they heard that robotic sound, yet one in particular wasn’t too happy to see him.

"What do you want, Ren?" General Hux hissed as he raised his eyes from a datapad. "I’m about to release heavy fire on a Resistance outpost, so you better have a reason to interrupt me."

Although he wanted to throw a remark, there was no time to argue. "The Supreme Leader demands our presence in the throne room. The assault can be postponed."

General Hux pursed his lips together and sighed softly through his nostrils. "Very well," The ginger handed the datapad to lieutenant Mitaka on the way off the bridge and headed towards the throne room with the Master of the Knights of Ren.

Just a few steps away from entering the throne room, Kylo blocked the General's path by stepping in front of him. The other man furrowed his brow with irritation as he didn’t know what Ren's intentions were. "Just a friendly warning: I have received my orders to kill Queen Esme."

The expression of irritation on the ginger’s face muted into fury and he took a step closer to Kylo, glaring directly into the masks eyes. "How is that supposed to be friendly?" Armitage asked with gritted teeth. "You’ve just told me that you’re going to kill my wife."

"I told you because I believe you can change the Supreme Leader's mind," Kylo retorted. "Esme is far more valuable to the Order alive than dead."

This was the punishment, Armitage thought, the attempt to involve Gracelea in the New Republic's politics must’ve failed. After everything he and Esme had done, the Galactic Senate turned her down... "Why kill her?" He asked, not really expecting Ren to give him a concrete answer.

"As both Queen and Commander, Esme has too much power in her hands," there was a point to his words. "If she only decided it, the union of the Seal Troopers and the Royal Army could parallel your army of Stormtroopers."

"He’s afraid she will turn on the Order," General Hux added, and Kylo made a firm nod. But something was still off, he wasn’t fully convinced by Kylo's heads-up. What reason would he have to save Esme’s life? "If the Supreme Leader seeks to punish her, I know something that will hurt her the most..." Armitage was sure that Esme was going to truly hate and despise him after what he had the intentions to do, just because there was no other way he could save her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Was it just a one night stand with Esme or a missed opportunity of a lifetime? Kylo may never truly know the answer 
> 
>  
> 
> I’m a sucker for music that represents scenes and characters, then I can basically listen to the song and immediately have a vivid image that rolls in front of my eyes like a cinematic masterpiece OKAY I’m rambling cause it’s like 2AM and I have things to do tomorrow but I don’t want to sleep yet
> 
>  
> 
> Have an awesome day wherever you are in the world ❤️


	27. Chapter 27

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aaaalllright-y Drama ahead

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Watched one interview some time ago, I don’t remember which one it was, where Daisy told Domhnall that she believes everyone in Star Wars is Force sensitive, including General Hux, they just don’t pay attention to it; the look on his face was priceless, and I kind of used this headcanon to my advantage lol
> 
> The chapter is quite short, cause I wanted to keep it focused on Esme. She’s caught in a whirlpool of emotions, it’s not just about a war going on in the universe, but it has shifted to a personal level, and Esme is caught in the crossfire.

There was an unsettling feeling embedded into my heart, my hands kept sweating cold as I waited anxiously for a reply to the message I had sent to the Supreme Leader. Two days had passed, but my restlessness didn’t decrease, in fact, in seemed to increase as the clock ticked.

With the sun warming up the ground after the winter, the maids had set a table and some chairs in the garden to make me spend some needed time out of the office. After so many years of being surrounded by soldiers, I had almost forgotten how it felt to sit down and talk with non-military people. Three younger maids, probably around seventeen, were smiling and chatting lively, telling me about their spare time outside of the White Castle, while working on some embroidery.

"I met a handsome man last month while I’ve been out running errands," Nylina giggled, "he’s been courting me ever since."

"What happened to- uh..." Yuna paused to think, furrowing her brow, "Jensen, was it?"

"Yes!" The third girl, Leela chimed in. "But wait, there was a certain Ian before Jensen..." Yuna and Leela started laughing when Nylina gasped in shock.

"Please, don’t embarrass me in front of the Queen!" The girl retorted with red on her cheeks.

The girls all looked at me puzzled for a short moment when I started laughing with tears in my eyes. "Girls, there’s nothing wrong if Nylina wants to explore some options before settling down," I told them with a content smile. I picked up my teacup and took a sip of the warm liquid. "You still have plenty of time to find the right person for you."

The three of them exchanged a quick glance, sharing a silent thought. I waited to see which one of them was going to be brave enough to ask me what they were all thinking. Then, Leela lowered her embroidery onto her lap, focusing her attention on me. "If I may ask, your majesty, how did you realize that your husband was the one?"

She immediately lowered her eyes to her hands when she saw my eyes narrowing, and thought that maybe the question upset me, when in truth I was thinking about an answer. "Well, I didn’t," I told them with a straight face, "my immediate thought when I first saw him was to blow his head off with a blaster." The sides of my lips curved up in a grin and my right hand subconsciously rubbed my swollen belly. Lost in though, I failed to notice their eyes widen at the mention of the blaster, then they giggled. "In fact, we both hated each other."

Silence followed before Nylina asked me another question. "If you hated each other, how did you fall in love then, my Queen?" The three appeared to lean closer to me with curiosity on their expressions.

My lips parted slightly, but I didn’t know what to say. I loved Armitage, I just didn’t know exactly when I fell in love with him... It just happened. Our attention was diverted when the porcelain teacups started shaking onto their saucers, and panic rose in their eyes.

"An earthquake?!" Yuna gasped, but I quickly reassured her that it wasn’t.

I had to reminded myself that they’ve never been on a military base. "It’s just a ship landing nearby," I told her, glancing towards a door that lead inside of the castle, expecting Krane to walk out soon. There was one spaceship in particular that made the ground quiver like that...

"My Queen," Krane, promptly, walked out in the garden and I stood up from my chair, the maids did the same out of respect, "General Hux is here to see you. I told the guards to escort him to your office."

My insides swirled with uneasy anticipation; Armin usually let me know beforehand if he was coming to Gracelea. "Thank you," I made a single nod, "You’re dismissed for now." I quickly made my way inside of the castle and headed up to the office, taking in a deep breath before entering. "Armin?"

His back was turned to me as his eyes were facing the portrait of Queen Faye behind the desk, he had his hands clasped back and his coat was hanging loose from one of the guest chairs in front of the desk. I didn’t like the way his posture appeared tense for some reason, but the moment he heard my voice and turned his head to look at me, his eyes lit up. 

Armitage didn’t say anything, just gazed at me before he swiftly closed the distance between us and captured my lips with his, cupping my cheeks with his warm hands. He kissed me with so much emotion that my mind froze at the eager touch, he then delicately traced my jawline with the tip of his thumb, traveling further down my body until he rested the palm of his right hand on the belly bump, stroking it.

As soon as our lips parted so we could regain our breaths, I looked him in the eyes, seeing what I had missed before. _Fear._. "As much as I am pleased by your affection," I murmured breathless, "I need to ask you what’s going on with you."

The clear blue of his irises darkened; I knew him, he wasn’t an hesitant man, so when a long moment went by without him still saying anything, I took a step back to distance myself from him. "Esme, I need to tell you something very important, and I need you to remain calm."

My heart started racing; that was the worst possible thing to hear, one could not simply stay calm after hearing that. "Do I need to sit down?" I asked rather calmly, walking past him and headed towards the desk, facing him again.

"If it makes you more comfortable, you can sit down," Armitage replied, but I shook my head. It was clear that he was having a hard time trying to say what he needed to. "After being informed that the attempt to establish a political relation between Gracelea and the New Republic has failed..." He licked his lips, looking at the floor as he took slow steps towards me, "Snoke ordered Ren to kill you, because he feared you’d turn on him."

I tilted my head to the side as I stared at him in disbelief. "Then why are you here and not Kylo?" I asked, lowering my voice. Subconsciously, I wrapped my arms around belly, as if to shield myself from him.

"I wasn’t going to lose you over some stupid political agreement," Armitage retorted bitterly, "So I did what I do best, I’ve bargained for your life." I was holding back my breath, starting to feel lightheaded before he continued. "I know how much heart you put into the Seal Troopers, and I’m sad to inform you that you’ve been relieved of your role as the Commander." It saddened me to hear that, but I was willing to live with that decision. "SEALT Base will be dismantled, the soldiers will be evaluated and assigned to a new unit within the Order by Captain Phasma."

I exhaled slowly the long breath that I’ve been holding in and closed my eyes, leaning against the edge of the desk. "I can live with that..." I murmured. It was a work of a lifetime, the sole reason why I walked proudly among the higher ups of the First Order.

"There’s something else," Armitage added, and my eyes immediately shot wide open. "Snoke retorted that it wasn’t enough of a punishment and asked for our son."

The moment my brain processed his word, my body reacted immediately. I raised my right hand and slapped him so hard that his head turned to the side without too much resistance. "Are you out of your mind?!" I yelled as loud as I could, "You promised my son to a Dark Master?!" There were no words to describe the murderous emotion that took me over.

"It was either that or your life!" Armitage yelled back, but I wasn’t having any of it. "How do you think I’m feeling?!"

"My son, you bastard-!" I hit him on the chest with sloppy fists, feeling my words being cut off by uncontrollable sobs and the tears came down like a river. "How could you do this to me?"

"Esme, stop it! You’re going to hurt yourself." He caught my wrists and tried to stop me from hurting myself in the process of hurting him, but at that point I had no more energy to fight him back.

I snatched my hands from his grip and turned towards the desk, leaning the palms on the flat surface to support my weight, while openly crying in frustration and anger. "My son-" I murmured, "-You’re going to take away my son."

Armitage placed his hand on my back, rubbing it to soothe away my pain. "It’s better this way, than having you both dead." He said calmly, no remorse in his words.

"I swear to the creator, Armitage," I furrowed my brow and narrowed my eyes, turning my head to glare at him with a blurry vision, "I’m going to murder you if you don’t step back right now." He took the advice and retracted his hand, distancing himself from me with a hurt expression.

"I need you to come with me," he said after a while, my hyperventilating slowly reached normal breathing levels, but my eyes kept crying. "Snoke wants to see you in person."

There was no way to fight back, I had to admit to myself, they took away my dignity and they wanted to take away my unborn child. There was no one I could turn to, I had accept it- no, I had to shove the bitter truth down my throat and live with it. "I, uh..." My mind blacked out, I could barely talk from the shock. "I need to call in the Troopers who are still on missions." Armitage nodded, giving me some time to send a message to Donys.

 

The Supremacy was gigantic, to say the least, a Star Dreadnaught that served as the moving headquarters of the First Order... Or, as many nicknamed it, _Snoke’s Boudoir_. Several months ago, if someone had told me that I’d meet the Supreme Leader in person, I would’ve jumped on my feet with joy, but now I was frozen in fright. If only I had known how to fly a spaceship, I would’ve escaped to the remote corners of the galaxy with my child and live a fugitive life.

During the whole flight, when Armitage tried to start a conversation, I’d ignore him with all my might, and when he tried to touch me, I’d flinch and move away. I was so hurt that the constant thought of me being dead sounded way better than what I was currently going through.

Normally, I’d pay attention to my surroundings, but I just wanted to get over with this meeting. Armitage and I were escorted to the throne room by heavily armed Stormtroopers, and from there, two Praetorian Guards allowed only the two us into the room. More Praetorian Guards cloaked in red robes and armor were standing in a circle around the room, guarding their leader.

My pupils landed for a brief moment on Kylo, who was without his helmet in the presence of his Dark Master, then they were back on the humanoid. Even sat on the throne and engulfed by a golden robe, he was still horrendous to look at. His height on seven feet made me feel insignificant in his presence. Reluctantly, I bowed before him like Armitage did, keeping my eyes glued to the floor.

"Ah, we meet in flesh, at last," Snoke said in a raspy voice. "Step closer, Queen Esme." I exhaled imperceptibly through my nostrils, taking slow and careful steps towards the humanoid, with clenched fists at my sides and my heart drumming in my chest. I dared to look up at him, maintaining an expressionless face. "You’re afraid," he said almost too pleased, "and you have all the right reasons to be." Snoke stood up from his seat and came closer to me, eyes fixed on mine. Despite the excruciating feeling in my body and the voice screaming in the back of my mind to run away, I stayed immobile. There was this dark aura that came from him, it was even stronger than Kylo's, and I could feel it seeping into my bones. "Give me your hand."

Snoke stretched out his right arm with the palm of his large hand facing upwards, and I hesitantly placed my small one onto his. A predator like him made me believe that cold blood was running in his veins, but instead his flesh was incredibly warm.

"Hm..." His eyes narrowed as he gazed down at me, then retracted his hand and I did the same, refraining from rubbing away the feeling of his skin against mine. "Not powerful, but she can learn the ways of the Force." His words made me furrow my brows in confusion.

Before I could process it, the word had already escaped my lips. "She?"

"Your child," Snoke started as he returned sitting on the throne, "it’s a girl. She has potential to be trained by the Master of the Knights of Ren." My breath hitched in my throat; for some reason, I’ve always thought that my baby was going to be a son. "Once she is born, you have four years to raise her, then Kylo will take her under his wing. You’re free to leave now."

I bowed once more and backed up a few feet before I turned on my heels and exited the room, headed straight for the docking bay. Armitage was right beside me, easily keeping up with my fast pace. "Esme, don’t be so stubborn," he whispered as we passed by Stormtroopers and General crew of the ship, "talk to me. I don’t have the ability to read your mind."

"I want to get off of this ship," I told him in a strangled tone, halting in my steps to face him. "Just take me somewhere else, Armin, I don’t care where." I couldn’t stay strong anymore, my legs were starting to feel numb and I clutched my belly protectively, as if fearing that my child would disappear. "Please..." I got closer to him and hid my crying face in the crook of his neck, softly sobbing with his arms wrapped around me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a hard time deciding whether Armitage and Esme were going to have a son or a daughter, but then I chose daughter because Gracelea's Queens have always and only had female children. Plus, the thought of Armitage having a baby girl makes my heart melt. Just imagine him spending quality time with his girls -swooooon- 
> 
> We have yet to get an insight to what Kylo is going through. It’s as if Snoke proclaimed him Uncle Kylo just because lol


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy I can’t believe I last updated in February... sorry I’ve kept you waiting for such a long time, I really just kind of took a break from writing and dedicated myself to kpop, since I’ve been missing it a lot.
> 
> This is a really short chapter and I hope to make it up with the future ones! I also didn’t know how to continue from the previous chapter and decided to skip on directly to Esme and Armitage’s child being born, then I’ll probably fill in what took place during the time jump in the next chapter.
> 
> Enjoy! <3

My sleep-deprived brain could barely comprehend what had just happened. With half-lidded eyes I glanced down at my belly, distant sound of wailing resonated softly in my ears. A long moment passed before I removed the sweat soaked hair from my face and pinned them behind my ear, then reached for the baby laying on my belly, unsure if I should touch her at all.

A long sigh left my lips and the tears of pain turned into ones of joy when the realization begun sinking into me. "My child," I whispered as I gently picked my daughter up, such a tiny and fragile being. I moved her from my belly, where the nurse had placed her, and laid her onto my chest. All the physical pain I went through during the seven hours of labor, plus the two of pushing, was long forgotten, my body went numb with exhaustion.

"Time of birth, 3:28 in the morning." I heard one of the nurses say in the background of the hospital room, once my daughter's crying softened and my hearing ability came back. 

I cradled my daughter with a feeling of fulfillment , a faint hint of a smile showing on my worn out face, but it was still there as I kissed the baby’s forehead, my dry lips stayed there as I took in her small frame. She was truly beautiful, even with that purplish color of her skin that seemed to glow under the bright lights of the room, and there were faint highlights of red in her short brown hairs on top of her head.

"My Queen," one of the nurses approached the bed, bowing with her head slightly, "Have you decided on the name of the princess?"

That question made me look up at her with doubt in my expression. I had already decided my daughter's name, but there was still a problem with her last name. Armitage and I had different views on the matter, I believed that if I were to reveal to the public that the heir to the throne was a Hux, someone might try to kill our child in hopes to hurt him, and we didn’t need to add that to our problems. On the other hand Armitage believed that the enemy would get discouraged to attack us, since not only was our child affiliated to the First Order, but also because Gracelea had officially become a New Republic's ally. Any attack to Queen Esme's family would make the Resistance an enemy to the Republic, thus our child would be protected no matter what.

I felt a pang in my chest, hoping that going against my better judgement wouldn’t prove to be one of the worst decisions I’ve ever made in my life. Hux or not, she was Armitage’s offspring as much as mine.

"Princess Amara Esme Hux of Gracelea."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked it, please leave some thoughts and tell me what you think about the story, about what you think is going to happen! I love reading your feedback <3

**Author's Note:**

> ♡ Please, don't be afraid to talk to me, I encourage you to do so ♡ Feedback is always appreciated (:


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